The Catalyst
by ItWasTheVoices
Summary: What do you do when the actions you made results in something you least expected? Would you be able to live with what you discovered, no matter how crazy it turns out to be? Or would you lose yourself entirely? *Prologue Story for previous fanfic Angels and Bloodties. OC story containing mild psychological suspense.
1. Chased by Darth Vader

**Hello again, back with more writing to assault your eyeballs! It's 'ItWasTheVoices' again :D. Still working on something with my latest story for 'Oh-My-Music-Idol'. I somehow ran into writer's block, and I don't really know how to get out of it :(. For now, if you're bored, here is a story I didn't really finish when I decided to go with 'Angels and Bloodties'. If you have any advice on writer's block, leave a comment on the review page! **

**Chapter One**

"This can't be happening. This CAN'T be happening!" panted a terrified girl. The girl's rapid steps crunched on the grass. She runs into trees and shrubs in Evergreen Park, her eyes darting at every shadow she passed. She squeals tripping over a tree root face planting in the tall grass. The girl turns her head and shoots up from the ground sprinting again with gasping breaths. Her fear was catching up with her, her sense of calm was weaning. Wine colored irises spot the fleeting glimpse of a phantom's cape hopping from the shadows of the foliage.

The girl's chest started to tighten, her lungs starved for air, and her feet cramping from the nonstop running. She dials out on her phone again, the reception still dead like it had been for the past ten minutes. She growls in frustration over her convenient inconvenience of a cell phone. "For GOD sakes! Whoever you are, leave me alone!" The schoolgirl shouts with panted breaths.

A warmth erupts from her hands, neglected by the girl who used them to cover her head when a bizarre flash of pink streaks above her head. She hears the pained grunts of her pursuer fall backwards. The girl refuses to look back to see, her eyes focusing ahead on the park pathway and her mind replaying her recent past.

Earlier that day when she first woke up, it was like any Monday. She routinely popped her head from the pillow, at the chime of her phone playing her obligatory xylophone ringtone. One she wished she would have changed. She performed her morning routine of throwing off her oversized tunic and puts on her latest school uniform for that year. She brushed her frizzy hair into tamed short wavy curls, brushed her teeth, and shuffled her way to the kitchenette to eat a piece of toast. The young girl grumbles with restraint, cursing in her mind over why they had to go to school on a Monday. She snorts at the asinine thought of the headmaster making the students makeup one day of school on a Monday, just because they cancelled school one time over too much ice.

"Fucking school can't handle a few icicles," mumbled the grumpy adolescent.

The girl leans over the table munching on her toast, mentally psyching herself for later that day. She was looking forward to it, the first fun thing she got to do with anyone her own age since last year. "Josie said they'll be some food at the school festival later. Better not eat too much before then," droned on the girl. The food wasn't the most important thing, anyway, just being able to hangout with other people for once was just a breath of fresh air for her. The girl downs her milk in a few gulps, when she notices her mother being absent from the room. "She must be sleeping…good! Maybe I can leave here before she wakes up."

The girl's hopes were dashed when she hears the balcony door to the apartment open and shut. Her mother striding into the sitting room with an exhausted face as she rubs her eyes and yawns. The older woman's fatigue did not appear to show on her flawless bronze complexion, not even a wrinkle to show off her age. The schoolgirl briefly envies her mother's youthful appearance. The woman who was probably pushing forty looked like a younger woman no older than twenty-four. The mother's grey eyes shift studying her daughter dressed for school, the elder already showing her reservations.

"Why are you dressed so early?" Asked her mother.

"I'm not, it's almost 7:45. I need to be at school for the May Festival today. Josie invited me to hangout with Hector and Abby." The schoolgirl shuffles off from the kitchenette sink and walks back to her room to fetch her backpack. The girl is stopped by a soft hand on her shoulder from her frowning mother.

"Lydia, listen to me, I don't think going to school today is such a good idea. After what happened recently, I think it may be time for us to plan our next move." The girl responds by rolling her eyes at her mother, griping when she reaches her bedroom door. "Why can't you just let me enjoy something for once?!" shouts the disappointed girl.

"I have my reasons for this, Lydia. You need to stay home this week from school," The woman's voice commands her daughter like a Sargent commanded his cadets. The young girl groans, "You _always_ do this! I finally make friends and you start freaking out when I want to go do stuff with them."

"Lydia, I won't argue with you about this again. You are to stay home and that's final!" The woman sees the girl step out of her bedroom still dressed up for school. Sunglasses were already on her face framed by her wavy black hair, with her small blue backpack now hauled over her slim shoulders. "Did you not hear your mother?" The woman glared. Lydia continues her defiance and glares back at her mother.

"I'm sick of fricking hiding at home every time you start to have an anxiety attack. He would have let me go!" cried the aggravated girl.

"Well he isn't here is he?" replied the exasperated mother. The girl lowers her head hissing at her mother, "Liar…"

"What was that?"

"I said I'm late for school! You might be fine with hiding from the world, but I for one want to live like a normal person. I'll see you tonight," the girl starts walking out the door with her mother chasing her to the elevator. "Get back here, young lady. I forbid you from leaving this house!" The girl's mother could not catch up to Lydia as she briskly walked out the sliding door down to the elevator. "You need help mother! The sooner you realize that the better!" The door slides shut to the elevator with the woman holding her hands to the door, gawking at her daughter's willful defiance.

The girl was quickly on her way to school, pushing her way through the crowded streets of the metropolis. She nearly blended into the crowd of civilians, with wine colored eyes hidden from the world through her dark shades. The teen adores the stylish shades covering her eyes, adding some sense of edge to her dorky school uniform. The girl enjoying the idea of school, but never seemed to enjoy the uniforms she was forced to wear. This uniform was her latest fashion tragedy every day she left the apartment on a school day. It wasn't bad in her standards of school uniforms, just reeked of the most basic, milk and toast blandness of an outfit, that barely even flattered her. Her skin felt drained of color wearing her tan sweater vest and short white collared shirt in the humid May, showing off her school logo on the chest pocket. The grey pleated thigh length skirt billowed at the lightest breeze.

"Forget Mom, Liddy. Just think about the festival today. You can always apologize later," Lydia mumbles to herself. She walks forward into the train, speeding off four more miles to her now temporary school. The girl could see other students riding the rails as well as the usual stiffs that worked near or at the military facilities. Many were in their own cookie cutter uniforms with their own arbitrary color combinations. One that stood out to her was a clean uniform combination of the scientists in crisp white and royal blue, who were chatting up on the train like the average shmuck. Lydia glares at them with some disgust at the pretentious looking men and women riding with them, mumbling about the rich engineers from that company headquarters acting all humble that they took the train today. She snorts and looks away spotting another one of them with some brief intrigue.

He looked like he belonged with those smug ingrates, clean cut in his white and blue lab uniform. The length of his coat looked like he was a supervisor or a Chief of his department, with a stern R.B.F. to match. His hair was a dirty blonde that was spiked at the ends, sea blue eyes covered with a pair of studious square glasses. The scientist and the girl share a few minutes of direct eye contact when she feels his eyes upon her with a curious gleam. She makes a face at the man and breaks eye contact when she moves closer to the train doors. The girl glances back to see the man gone, brushing it off as the guy moving back into the crowd. The train itself then comes to a slow stop, bringing her closer to her destination.

After she got to school on foot, she shuffles into the building with the other students. The mass of high schoolers looked zombified like a mob of hibernated bears forced to wake up. Lydia admits she must have been the ONLY kid in the entire school who wanted to come that day. Even if this whole thing was for stupid reasons. The only thing that made it bearable was just the festival itself, which was basically a bribe to get people to show up. She sighs at how the bribe certainly worked on her and her new easily amused group of friends. Lydia herself just couldn't wait to see how fun the festival would be, this supposed school carnival the talk of the neighborhood when kicking off the two-week break from school. The still intrigued girl hums with excitement in the sea of still zombified teens already planning her afternoon of fun. The girl reaches the doors of the school with her ankle boots touching the threshold, suddenly overwhelmed with an odd sensation.

The sensation, a feeling that stops her in her tracks by the door, compelling the girl to figure out where this odd feeling came from. She felt it before, felt it creep up her spine several times in the past, like she somehow had an ice cube touch the back of her neck. This odd feeling, she had known, and yet…she couldn't place where it was coming from. The girl stands there frozen with concern, the unshakable impression that something or someone had their eyes on her. The feeling follows her when she shakes her head walking up to the third floor of the school. The feeling follows her all the way to her desk, following her eyes to the board, the teacher already droning on about the newest debate in the science world.

The feeling pesters her thoughts, the girl silent throughout class not even paying attention. Instead she starts to listen to this feeling, this odd sensation that was annoying her. She listened, and she listened quietly focusing on what it was.

It was silent, taciturn, almost bearing into her soul. She felt like a specimen under its gaze, studied to fulfill its own curious purpose. Her ears subtly pick up something from the odd sensation, something she didn't think was possible. Tapping, she could hear something tapping on another surface. The tapping almost as annoying as the eerie sensation she felt linger with her that whole morning.

Geez, it was annoying!

The tapping was coming from outside. The girl's eyes twitched thinking about that annoying light tapping, entertaining the idea that she was starting to go crazy when she sees nothing. The girl's wine-colored eyes glimpse out the window, a vision of someone tapping his hand on a hard surface, sitting with the gaze of a fascinated cat. Watching, waiting, sitting, observing something. Just what were they observing?

"So, do you always have your head in the clouds, or are you just _that_ bored?" The girl with dark black hair jolts back from her daydream to look at the face of her peeved friend. Josie sat across from Lydia in her maroon desk with a playful pout. She twirled the contents of her bento box with her chopsticks, eyeing the inattentive girl's untouched tuna sandwich and juice. Lydia didn't realize she had daydreamed her whole morning away. She didn't even realize she had gone through the motions of preparing and sitting down for lunch.

The girl in front of her pouts in her matching uniform and twirls a few strains of black hair from her ponytail. The short Asian girl keeps eyeing her peculiar looking friend with brown eyes, studying the girl's withdrawn behavior that morning.

"Let me guess, you had a fight with her again," suspected the pouty Josie.

"What, no! It wasn't a…okay we had another fight." Lydia crosses her arms when she is welcomed into the embrace of reality.

"What was it about this time?" Josie muffles after she pops another rice ball into her mouth. Lydia sighs at her friend welcoming the chance to complain.

"My mom, my mom has gotten back into her weird habit early this year. Before we move off to the next place, she _always_ has me stay home from school for about a week before the move happens. Then suddenly we pack up and leave."

"Bitch, that sounds awesome. I can't even _beg_ my parents just to stay home," gawked a jealous Josie.

"Yeah, well, your parents at least don't force you to fricking move every year," glared Lydia. Josie waves a hand at her fuming friend and smiles.

"Come on, girl. Isn't that part of your mother's job moving around a lot?"

"Well yeah, but…it feels like something more than just that." The dark-haired girl stares out the window, intently staring at a spot on a neighboring rooftop beside the urban school. She looks at the spot she thought she felt that odd presence. The girl turns over to Josie with an uneasy frown.

"Josie, do you ever feel like you're being watched?" Josie rolls her eyes at Lydia and scoffs, "Yeah. Right now, I'm being watched by that fuck tard Ricardo from his group of merry nerds."

"I'm serious, JoJo! Ever since that party I had at my Mom's place, I've been feeling like someone is following me everywhere. Hell, I even made myself look like an ass in front of my mother today, calling her out on her paranoia. All that just to hide the anxiety I had about someone watching us," Lydia frowned. Josie sighs and pats the girl with her chopsticks giving Lydia a pitying smile. "You sure you wanna stay later for the school party then? It's early release today for the holiday break, so you can go home if you have to," Josie asks. Lydia looks at her with a determined stare.

"No, I planned on staying for the festival today. Besides, if I leave after school, I'm worried it may be the last time I see any of you guys." Lydia frowns before finally eating her lunch.

"Right, I get it. So, your mom isn't going to freakout about you coming home late again?"

"Let her freak," sneers Lydia. "I'm not going to let her issues ruin my last day before the break." Josie begins to grin mischievously. "Good, because I got a few things planned for the five of us when the festival comes around. This is going to be sweet!"

The schoolgirls sat close to each other during their lunch period with her mind clearing about the spine-tingling sensation she felt that morning. The festival later she looked forward to had lived up to her expectations. She had raised hell with her four friends running around the school festival eating junk food, playing carnival games, and flirting with the somewhat cute looking boys in her class. It was what she needed, fun. Something that didn't seem to happen much these days. Lydia remembered leaving her friends laughing and parting ways close to Kuffner street when they all left to go goof around at a tea shop. She looks through the pictures on her phone giggling at the selfies she took with Josie and Roslyn, cracking up at the surprise photo of Hector messing with Abby. Lydia smiled walking down the street feeling thrilled for that afternoon.

Lydia strides down the sidewalk feeling nothing different going her typical route home from school. She then feels a warm breeze tickle her face, the teen standing calmly about to cross the street on that late spring afternoon. The girl crosses the crosswalk with over a dozen pedestrians rushing through the streets of the metropolis. Her dyed black hair felt slightly windblown as she rushed across, her strides slowed by a gust of wind billowing her pleated skirt. Her shoes clicked while her small blue backpack pulled on her back like a miniature anchor. Liddy glances down at a phone gripped tight in her hand. Her faded reflection reflects a pair of sunglasses back at her, the petite feminine frame forced into her tan sweater vest and a white collared shirt.

She looks down at her girly ankle boots and grimaces when she hears a car horn honk at her to hurry up. The girl moves out of the way of the impatient driver and continues walking down the sidewalk. She flips through her phone noticing the time as she scrolls down to her mother's phone number. Lydia hesitates to press the dial button on her phone, a shaky thumb pressing the button after a minute. To the girl's disappointment, the phone gives off a no dial tone, acting as if the signal in the area was lost. In fact, the phone signals were terrible there for the past three days since she walked that area. "Figures," grumbles the schoolgirl as she walks. Lydia leisurely goes down the sidewalk glancing behind her when she spots a black shadow dash from her peripheral vision. A sudden eerie feeling of dread takes over her again, the teen turning around to walk with quicker strides away from the shadow. She almost walks past the gate to a lush park walking down the sidewalk, her mind acting quickly with an idea. The girl was running late getting home, and lucky her, the park had a shortcut to get to the train faster.

The schoolgirl enters the park without hesitation with such sound logic over her alternate route. She hums softly an old metal song, tapping her fingers on her blue backpack strap. A rush of cold air blows past her sensing the shadow again. Lydia instinctively began to walk faster through the park with steps clicking like an increasing metronome. The miniature backpack attached to her back hung looser as she lost focus on holding onto it. Something billows in the wind like a cape as the black shadow passes her for what was the sixth time walking through the park's path. Each time she saw the shadow dash past her behind trees and corners, her heart raced with built up anxiety.

This feeling overwhelmed her. She felt unsafe, and whatever it was, it made her want to run, somewhere, anywhere. She needed to escape!

The metronome of her steps quickens when the black shadow is merely a few feet from her, reaching for her. Lydia's wide eyes looked startled as she holds her hands out to defend herself, a pink light flashing briefly across her vision. She blinks and sees the man fall back to the ground, wearing the most bizarre getup she had ever seen. His entire body was covered from head to toe in black, his outfit adorned with a hooded black cape and an unsettling black mask befitting an old-fashioned plague doctor. Lydia screams and runs off the path with the black clad man briefly stunned.

So, there she was, the teen cutting through trees and shrubs before stumbling into another walkway leading towards a stairway. Her boots clicked rushing down the stairs with the black clad weirdo surely on her tail. Indeed he was, Lydia glimpsing him again trying to dodge some swirling pink lights. The girl shakes her head trapped in panicked bewilderment at the whole scene, wishing her cell phone was working. "Did-did I eat something drugged?!" scoffs the skeptical girl.

"I-I got to keep running. Keep running, go get help. Oh my GOD where is anyone when you need them," yelled Lydia. The girl reaches the end of the stairway panting when she spots a man by the park fountain standing leisurely. His back was turned away from her unaware of the scene that was occurring near him.

The panting teen scrambles to the innocuous bystander, her body getting a second wind to run up to him. The girl has a feeling of embarrassment build up in her, acting like a helpless maiden. She couldn't help it, everything just built itself up around her, suffocating her. She needed help, help before something terrible happened.

Please someone help her.

Lydia reaches the man dressed in dark business attire; the girl touches his slender blazer not caring how crazy she probably looked. Her voice cries out when she tried to speak in a hurried panic to the white-haired man, "Sir, please! Please, you must help me, there's a man tryi- "

There was that feeling again. That pesky, annoying, eerie feeling that followed her that day. It followed her when she left her mother for school. It followed her throughout her class day, it followed her with her friends. It followed her when she said goodbye and walked home. It followed her when she was being chased by the masked man. It followed her when she touched his shoulder, red eyes following her every move. Her frantic cry for help cut off by that brief glimpse of red eyes, that eerie feeling pulling her down, down into a quick, spotted, swirling black oblivion. Even then the red eyes followed her, leaving her this odd feeling. This feeling that left her…cold.


	2. House Arrest

**Chapter Two**

Her mind was numb, the constant feeling of being cold engulfs her in what felt like the embrace of death. Was this what it was like to die? The world around you just goes black, like the end of a long movie. No flashbacks of your greatest life moments, no last-minute chance to say goodbye to anyone you cared about. Just, darkness?

She expected to wake up, still balking at the idea this was real. Lydia tries to imagine herself jumping up from her bed shouting out of her spiked food induced nightmare. Yes, that was it! She was just tripping out on poisoned food. This wasn't the end, just the delirium of a bad high. She would wake up soon, ready to run to the toilet and throw up from food poisoning.

But nothing changed. Lydia was still falling, still swimming through a heavy fog of darkness with her arms and legs too limp to pull herself up from submersion.

How could she be dead? She was too young to die. She never got to see her friends again, she never got all her questions answered…she didn't even get home to apologize. Lydia grimaces with teary eyes, feeling helpless drowning in the abyss looking for a life raft. The girl gasps feeling the firm grasp of gravity carrying her limp form. It didn't feel like she was drowning anymore, yet she was still engulfed in a world of darkness. This was a good sign, she wasn't dead, just…asleep? The young girl was now confused lying there in the darkness. She was determined to move, but her body would not budge, her eyes never opened. She would try to scream, but nothing came out of her lungs. The girl ponders with her fragile sanity, entertaining the idea of sleep paralysis. It was something she never was familiar with but would hear past friends mention it. This had to be it! It was just simple sleep paralysis. The girl chuckles at the thought, all that panicking over sleep paralysis.

All she could do now was wait for it to go away, which was going to happen any moment now.

Correction, now, _now_ she was going to open her eyes and move.

Third times the charm? Nope?

Nothing, as expected, happens.

This was going to stop soon right? She, she wasn't going to be stuck like this?! The girl breathes in deeply, counting to ten repeatedly to collect herself. Gradually the more she counts to ten, the more things start to come back around her. The first thing was her hearing, she could hear voices muffled around her in a hushed conversational tone. Whether they were male or female she couldn't be sure. One was soft spoken among the voices, sounded more clearer with how close it was to her ears. The other muffled voices varied in lower inflections with indistinguishing intentions.

When the softer voice speaks again, she feels her body land on a softer surface, almost fastened into a seat. Was she getting into a car? Holy crap, she thought, she was being kidnapped! Some perverts had drugged her and were carting her off somewhere in their rapey-murder mobile! Lydia started to scream with the sound traveling in the space within her mind. The girl was horrified her mouth wouldn't move but was replaced by the softest whimper. The soft surface of the car seat moves back with her head and torso following it. Her hand twitched as her eyes started to register the world around her with psychedelic blurs. Lydia awes the swirl of monochromatic shades dashed with red, letting out another soft whimper. Her twitching hand is held down, the unknown touch finishes strapping her to the seat. A heavy unknown object slides itself over her head, sounding like a machine, and quiets down when it sets around her eyes. The girl feels the cold sensation leave her senses once the phantoms step away from her blurred vision.

The girl suddenly grimaces, feeling needles poking into her right arm and neck, her body unable to move forward to pull off the things that were causing the stabbing pain. Then it began again, the swirling whirlpool of darkness dragging her back into the depths.

It was a ride she didn't want to be on, the dark abyss rapidly replaced with a zooming array of colors and patterns. The dizzying patterns zip across her visions before auditorily senseless noise bombards her eardrums. Lydia screams in pain covering her ears, feeling her limbs turn into noodles. The world turns back into the park with her sense of perception warping into rainbows shrieking. Lydia returns their shrieking with confused screams. The trees around her melt into rings of hypnotic earth tones that bled into a red sphere.

An eye, a bright red eye blinks at her from a distance. The blinking eye focuses on her in chatty whispers, and then the red from the giant eye starts to burst through like a torrent of water flooding in. Lydia tries fleeing from the eye in her psychedelic nightmare with her body morphing into swirls and her ears assaulted by her memories. She could hear the voices of her mother, and uncle, her friends, and the strangers muffled voices before the red water engulfs her. Her body tumbles around in the water gasping for breath, the girl hearing her voice echoing in her haunted mind. "You need help mother! The sooner you realize that the better!" The message mocks her repeating over again, "You need help, you need help, help, help, help, help…"

"Mother!"

A frightened Lydia jolts up from a cushioned surface with staggered breaths. Her wine-colored eyes focused ahead on an industrial brick wall. She holds back her urge to vomit, lying back down on the bed shivering. The room was filled with natural light bouncing off the metal part of the walls, the light itself not harsh on her irises.

The girl instinctively pulls the heavy green comforter around her, the comforter tangled up her arms and legs heating up her chilled body. Lydia peeks out from the blanket looking around the room. The girl spots the familiar décor of her small bedroom. The room was a modest space with only the essentials for the young girl. Her corner bookshelf sat attached to the wall by the window with dust collecting on some of her old novels. Her computer sat on the foldup desk in the apartment with a cheap chair to match. Next to the bookshelf was a small chest filled with a few outfits to switch from, most of the outfits present. Lydia looks down at her chest to see herself still wearing her high school uniform from the day before. Her white shirt and grey skirt were wrinkled from moving around in her sleep, while the girl's shoes sat idly on the floor. The girl clutches the comforter disoriented.

"What-what's going on? How did I get back here?"

The girl looks out the window beside her bed, the outside of her window appearing the same as it was the day before. A sunny day filled with the sounds of the metropolis, pedestrians flooding the streets moving around in their own mundane lives. Before she examines the details of the outside world further, she then hears the bedroom door slide open. The girl turns swiftly to the door to look at her red-haired mother, who greeted her with a stern face. The youthful looking mother frowned at her daughter while carrying a steaming cup of herbal tea. She glides over to the bed after placing the cup of tea on the desk.

"Good morning." The mother takes a gentle hand to her daughter's chin and grimaces at her complexion. "Goodness, you still look so green, baby. I thought you would have gotten better after a good night's rest," The woman pouts while Lydia stares at her with eyes wide with befuddlement. The mother playfully chuckles and says,

"I think this is the first time in awhile I've heard you mute. How are you feeling? Are you still feeling nauseated?"

"M-mom, what happened? How did I get back here?" The mother's face drops back to a stern glare as if she recalled a dreadful night from before. "I shouldn't be surprise you don't remember. One of your little friends you griped so much about hanging out with had dragged you back home after calling me. She said you ate something weird at the festival and kept 'tripping out' until I came by to pick you two up."

Lydia lowers her head embarrassed and blushing thinking about the incident. An incident she, for the life of her, could not remember. "It was just all, a long hallucination?" The girl reaches beside her bedside for what should have been her favorite spot for her phone, and notices the handheld device missing from her favorite spot. She blinks still disoriented until noticing her mother still giving her nonstop stern glare.

"I took your phone away." She plainly states.

"What? But wh- "The woman puts a hand in front of the young girl with a scowl, eyeing her with disappointment.

"You think you deserve the privilege of a phone after I caught you high as a kite yesterday? I was worried sick for _hours_ until I found you."

"What? But it wasn't my fault. I was- "

"Save it, Liddy. You are _not_ having your phone back until your grounding is over." The woman turns to the door in a huff, not bothering to tell her how long she was grounded this time. She looks back to scold her again. "You don't know how much you worried me, Lydia. After the scare we had a few months ago, I couldn't bear to think what would have happened if…"

The mother stops herself midsentence and says, "You shouldn't be moving around right now. Take some time to rest more. I will start looking for another place to move to in the meantime…drink some tea. It will help your stomach."

The woman glides out of the room with the sliding door sliding shut behind her. Lydia stared down at the blanket on her bed drinking in the motherly guilt that had rained down on her. Her mother knew how to lay it on thick with years of practice.

The girl sighs and crosses her arms still rattled with chills. What kind of high did she accidentally put herself in yesterday? The girl frowns and lies back down on the bed wrapping herself up in the blanket like a cocoon. "What did happen yesterday? Why, why can't I remember any of it? It couldn't have all been some hallucination. It just couldn't have."

The girl's thoughts are interrupted by the spine-tingling sensation of eyes upon her. She could see it; her mind flashed the vision of red eyes watching her again.

It had to be the same feeling she felt before at school. Those eyes in her vision lingered, the cold taciturn gaze that felt strangely familiar. Where had she seen those eyes? She never met anyone with red eyes before. Was she still seeing things?

The girl clutches her head as nausea overwhelms her. She rolls into a fetal position on the bed with a groan looking back to the steaming cup of tea on her desk. The girl's eyes betray her watching the cup move on the desk. Her eyes shut and open to see the cup was on the other side. The disoriented girl reaches out for the cup. She gasps seeing binary symbols dash across the space around the tea. The girl still reaches out for the cup until she starts to see black swirls again. "What, why am I…no, mom…"

The girl's hand collapses beside the bed, lying motionless in the late morning sun.

She wasn't sure how long she slept after she fell asleep, but she knew it had to be hours later. The girl opens her eyes with grogginess and yawns looking at her tiny bedroom. It was nighttime in the metropolis, the moon shining crescent in the clouds. Lydia sits up from the twin bed and forces herself to get up from the covers. The girl still looked sleepy wandering around the bedroom with unexplained suspicion. Everything looked the same, not a detail out of place. Well, with exception to the now cold cup of herbal tea on her desk. Beside the cup of tea was the flashing signal of a video message on her computer screen.

The girl raises an eyebrow and moves towards the computer to turn it out of sleep mode. _'No, nothing weird so far'_, thought the teenager. The computer flashes on with a happy bunny mascot cooing a high pitch sound and bouncing along the holographic monitor. The bunny on the screen suddenly pulls out a cell phone while dancing on the screen, and shouts 'You got a message!'

_'Remind me why I liked this bunny thing again?'_ she asked herself. Lydia presses a button to listen to the video message on her computer. The screen pops out the image of her mother giving a cordial smile in her recording.

_'Ciao, Tesoro. Presumo che ti sia svegliato di nuovo tardi. Speriamo che tu ti senta già meglio'_ The woman had a beautiful Italian accent as she spoke with elegance to the girl. The language itself wasn't a common lingo anymore these days. It was one that well, only certain people the Federation didn't like used when talking about certain things that may or may not help Immigrant lines hide information…but also for her mother to yell at her in another language. Apparently her go to for scolding her couldn't stay at English.

The woman ceases smiling to look sternly at her daughter, as if still peeved about the day before.

_'Se ti senti meglio, ti ho lasciato del cibo da mangiare in frigo. Una volta che hai finito, ti ho lasciato una lista di cose da completare intorno alla casa come punizione.' _

The mother in the prerecorded message springs up a lovely list of 'fun' for her daughter to complete and says, '_Mi aspetto che tutto sia fatto prima di tornare. Usa questo tempo per riflettere sulle tue azioni, signorina. Ti voglio bene, sii buono.'_

Lydia gawks at the screen incredulous at the list that popped up after the message ended. "You gotta be kidding me? It wasn't even my fault, mom!" The girl groans and mumbles reading the list of house chores to complete. _'What was the point of arguing with a screen?'_

She starts off the evening by packing up items around the apartment. Before that, she was forced to dust off everything before boxing things up and dusting off the rented furniture that came with the apartment. Lydia moves on to sweeping the floors and cleaning the glass on the balcony door. Next, as she grumbled some more, she goes on to snack on what was left for her in the fridge and returns to mopping the floor with an old-fashioned mop. "What's the point of cleaning if we're not going to live here anymore?" grumbled the girl.

She sighs while wiping her forehead and takes a seat on the sitting room couch to admire her labor. There was still a little bit more to pack, but all that seemed left was the bathroom, her mother's room, and lastly her own. Lydia looked forlorn thinking about the move, her mom having her way on this decision again. The fifteen-year-old felt tired of doing this constantly. What kind of life was it always running away? Even if this was for her stupid job, what kind of job doesn't give you enough protection to keep you in one place longer than a year?

The girl covers her face with her hands and sighs again. _'I don't want to leave. I actually like it here…Why do you always make me leave when things start to get great for us?'_

_'Yeah that sounds like it freaking sucks!'_

"Who said that?!" shouts Lydia. The girl looks around the room freaking out at the disembodied voice. It couldn't have been her mother. The girl knew around this time her mother wouldn't be home for another six hours. The voice wasn't even female, the pitch too low for a woman's voice. Perhaps it was…well as stupid as it was to hope it was him…

"Uncle? You're here? If so…since when do you curse?" Lydia pauses listening for the voice. She waits for a few minutes until she hears nobody in the sitting room. What the hell was she thinking? Her uncle?! The guy wasn't even in this part of the galaxy for another month at the earliest. The girl's face was bugged eyed as she peeped behind the couch in the sitting room looking behind her. The girl lets out a pitiful 'eep' waiting for something to appear.

She could have sworn she heard someone. "Hello? Is anyone there?" The girl waited there listening for the source of the disembodied voice. In the shadows lingered a pair of figures hiding out of sight. One whacking the other upside the head with a paper fan.


	3. Tea and Terror

**Chapter Three**

It was pretty this time of year. On a part of the world that always felt like summer, was a vast beach stretching across the coast of a serene village in Atalya. On the shore was a small girl humming and picking up seashells with her tiny hands. She stores them in her already full pockets dropping some shells as she walked along.

The little girl hums along until she sees a tall man standing in front of her. The girl looks up at the man with intrigue. His eyes were like the color of scarlet, hair as white as snow, and skin as pale as death itself. The little girl lets out a soft 'wow' looking at the strange man. He was staring out at the shore looking lost in his mind. He turns his head to the small girl aweing him and his odd attire, his eyes dejected. He watches the girl appearing otherworldly, while the poor child continued to stare at him curious. She starts to smile at the spooky man, pulling a large shell from her dress pocket. The little girl proudly shows her find to the stoic man, smiling her impish smile.

The dream ends with Lydia feeling someone touching the side of her head, brushing the hair from her face. Her eyes flutter open to see her mother looking at her with an examining eye. The woman's grey eyes blink rapidly seeing the girl wake up from her dream. She starts to relax into a smile.

"Morning, sleepy head." Said the red headed woman. Lydia grumbles a good morning rubbing her eyes. Sunlight was knocking on the window with the smell of a takeout breakfast coming from the kitchenette.

"I suppose that's my thanks for bringing in breakfast," smirks her mother.

"Um, sorry mom. What time is it?" yawned the girl.

"Well a little early for you to be waking up, but not too bad. It's eight o'clock," replied the mother. She walked away from the sitting area and sits down for breakfast. Lydia shuffles over to the small table and joins her mother for a breakfast wrap.

Breakfast was short and sweet for the little family with Lydia doing her best to hold a conversation with her mother. The talkative girl's efforts were as always futile. When the girl would speak, the woman was selective with her words in reply. She almost felt like her mother wasn't there. She herself was physically there, but her mind from what she could pick up was in another world. Lydia found it easy to pick up her mother secretive nature this way, however she could never get the woman to be honest with her when confronted. Such was her life with the reclusive Angeles Vein.

Her awkward breakfast with Mom was ended with the woman following her own morning routine and falling asleep in the master bedroom. Lydia knew she could have just sat there and watched TV, waited to a few days to get it back. But no, today she thought it was a good time to sneak back her phone. When she was sure her mother was asleep, Lydia tries to sneak into the bedroom with the stealth of a ninja. Her career as a ninja was short lived when she realized the door was locked from the inside.

_'Thanks a lot Mom…'_

The girl in her defeat moves onto plan B for her day and goes to change clothes. Lydia steps out of her room in a pair of ripped black skinny jeans and boots, with her dark purple shirt hanging loosely as a cold shoulder top. The girl glances at her mother's door watching it carefully. She tiptoes her way to the front door with her mind set on what to do in the city.

Her mind trailed on mundane ideas befitting an adolescent bimbo in a rebellious phase, snickering at her successful attempt to sneak out of the house. Lydia gets to the door and in comedic fashion is intercepted by a familiar young looking man with light silver hair.

The young man cheerfully smiles from the other side of the door with glimmering turquoise eyes, while the ever so friendly niece cringes and recoils backwards startled by the man. She whispers a curse word in one soft breath before she fakes an innocent smile.

"Un-uncle? What a pleasant surprise! I can't believe you're here," Lydia's thoughts betrayed her words with an attitude to match. _'What the hell?! Weren't you like across the galaxy, chaos?!'_

"Ah! Good morning, Liddy. I didn't expect you awake so early. Is your mother still up?" replied the cheerful looking man. The young man appeared oblivious to the young girl's guilt ridden face as he leans in for a hug. The girl herself appeared okay with his obliviousness, but still pissed he showed up.

It wasn't like she hated her uncle. I mean, who could hate a guy like him? For the longest she remembered chaos as like the cool uncle.

She could always count on him to be easy to convince into staying up late, playing games, and getting involved in crazy schemes. Granted, that didn't save her from her mother when uncle chaos got involved in her misadventures. Nor did it spare her from listening to the idealistic uncle's talks about spirituality. The young girl hoped he didn't have one of those talks left in his system after that long trip over from the next star system.

Lydia grudgingly accepts the hug from chaos, noting a strange chill running up her spine. She tenses from the hug that had the familiar affection of an artic glacier, nearly falling over herself as an icicle while chaos walked past her. The girl steadies herself looking behind her, a chill following throughout the room. Somehow he waltzes into the sitting room without concern to her quizzical thoughts about the change in temperature. The silver haired teen sits down on the couch perfectly content.

Yeah, it wasn't a shock to see the easy-going man smiling, but Lydia could feel something odd behind his closed lip grin. She had to be paranoid, she argued to herself. Nothing about the youthful man looked different. He was still sporting the same haircut, the same skintight outfit (don't know why he wears such tight clothing), and even had the same old air of 'I'm an old wise sensei' kind of deal. Of course, neither of that shook off this odd feeling that something felt 'off' about the silver haired man.

Lydia fails to notice she was now squinting at her uncle's appearance while he returns her suspicions with a flat expression. chaos observes her and at a drop of a hat, resumes his typical puppy eyed frown for his niece. "Is everything alright? I hope I didn't come in at a bad time," chaos's question prompts Lydia to respond in haste.

"N-no, it's not that. Mom just never mentioned you were coming by is all," The girl tries to hide her suspicions and walks up to the sitting room to sit. She sits on a chair looking at him from his spot on the couch. "I'm sure mother would be happy to see you again, but she fell asleep about an hour ago. She had to work last night."

_'Why the hell is it so chilly in here?'_ thought the uneasy girl.

"Oh, perhaps I jumped the gun visiting so early. I told your mother my latest job got done earlier than anticipated while coming back from the trip. After seeing some pretty amazing things over at the Galilea star system, I was hoping to catch up with her before her work stretch started", chaos explained. His darker than usual eyes looked excited as he explained, prompting Lydia to smile more at ease. _'Why does he seem so different?'_

"I'm just amazed you got back to Fifth Jerusalem so quickly, Uncle. Last time you visited, you said it would take you a month to come back. Mom would probably love to hear all about it," the girl gives a nervous laugh in response before she sees the youthful man study the sitting room with a stoic face. The girl shrugs off the man studying the room, brushing off his curiosity with the simple fact of Mom didn't tell him this time.

"Leaving so soon?" chaos asked in a monotone voice. The girl frowns and mutters a displeased reply.

"Mom, is having one of her moments again…she said we needed to find a new place to live because of what happened last week."

"But you just got here not even a year ago," The young girl sees chaos pout over the news.

"I know! I couldn't convince her to stay longer. She wants to move ASAP before my birthday comes around. I don't know why she wants us to move so quickly." Lydia takes a turn pouting beside her uncle with her cheeks puffed out.

"Did she say where this time?" he asks in an expressionless tone. _'Where? You should already know. Did mother forget to tell you? She normally tells you.'_

"Um, no, not really. She only asked me to box up stuff before we move. Hasn't said a thing where we were going," replied the girl. The pouty girl ponders for a moment neglecting her stoic uncle's eyes flashing a different color. "Perhaps we'll go to Carmel this time."

"Oh? Why so far away?" chaos reverts back to a closed lip smile. His ears appeared to perk up listening to the girl ponder. She kicks up her feet on the coffee table and in a dull reply says, "Because that's her weird little pattern when we move. You never noticed, chaos? About one to two years at the longest, we move from Federation planet to Immigrant run planet, then it just repeats again and again, back and forth."

The girl never really questioned why or how her mother was even able to do that. There had to have been so many logistically problems every time they ran off, but for some reason her job was cool with it. She knew the way her mom described her job was one that 'was very flexible in environments'. Though more likely, her mother liked the spiritual part of being near her religious roots.

"I know she likes to be with others who share that Ormus dogma, but it's just so stupid. Urgh! If she likes being there so much, why does she even bother moving us in the first place? Most of those planets are so stuffy and dull," she groans thinking about the idea.

"Religion is the cornerstone of wellbeing, Liddy. I thought your mother would have instilled that in you," replied chaos.

"Grrrrrr, this is all because of that fricking present I got from the party. She wouldn't be running away again," Lydia gets up from the couch and goes to make tea with a twitching eye. chaos appeared more engaged with the girl's melodrama and asks,

"Wait a minute? Didn't your mother ground you a couple of days ago?"

"For a different reason," grumbled the girl.

"Ahhh, here I assumed you had another outburst. Did you sneak off to school in protest? Or was there more to the story?" giggled the silver haired teen. His giggling earns him an ugly scowl from Lydia in the kitchenette. She crosses her arms as the water starts to boil in the open tea kettle.

"It was just to go to a school festival," she argues.

"That's not what I heard," smirked the teasing man. Lydia's eye twitches in silence ignoring her uncle chaos.

_'Don't you have to go to work soon?'_ thought the annoyed girl. The girl raises an eyebrow watching her uncle suddenly start chuckling at her.

"It's a good thing you're a terrible liar, Liddy." The silver haired young man replied through chuckles. He ruffles the girl's hair when she comes back with the hot tea, which earns him a glare from the teenager. The cold air of dread felt lighter around them when he puts on a mask of happiness for the girl.

"Damn it, I forgot the honey. Let me go grab some from the cabinet," Lydia quickly leaves the sitting room back to a kitchenette cabinet and rummages through the shelf. chaos continued to sit on the couch appearing to enjoy the visit. He picks up the tea and sips on the cup when he asks,

"Did you like the book?"

Lydia stops mid-searching after hearing the question, unsure how to respond. He just sits and gives a confident smile, expecting to hear her response.

_'How did he…?' _

"It…was as interesting as reading Charles Dickens." Lydia retorts with caution taking the missing honey from the cabinet. chaos has a turn raising an eyebrow as the girl came by into the sitting room. She adds honey to the cup of tea and places it back on the table for her uncle. The silver haired young man takes another sip of tea, then gets up from the couch with his closed lip smile. The girl continues to eye him with suspicion as his change in posture shows the man holding a hand behind his back. He eyes the boxes around the sitting room still in disarray from a few days before. The young man's eyes glint with a need to humor the younger one as he crouches down to open one box.

"I suppose there is no way for you to avoid packing up for the next place. But it will take you awhile to pack up on your own. You think you need a hand?" chaos asks. Lydia continues to watch him with skepticism looking at the darker hue in his eyes. She gives a small smile in return, holding back her skepticism with when she replies,

"Your help is always welcome."

_-Later that day-_

It was a sunny afternoon without a cloud in the sky. The forest floor echoed the sounds of a little girl giggling as she hid from tree to tree. The impish kid hushes her giggles from behind one tree. She waits quietly for 'it' to find her. Her quiet and careful eyes could not stop 'it' from finding her behind the tree. The glowing man taps on her shoulder with a small smile as he startles her, the girl squeals and laughs while skipping around her quiet friend.

"Come on! Let's play again! And again and again!" The little girl laughs and twirls about the forest tagging the glowing pale man. Behind her followed matching glowing pink orbs of aura floating in the air. The girl pays no mind to the spooky pink orbs. She thought they were pretty. They were indeed beautiful, the glowing orbs of warm light floating around where ever she went. She always admired the strange colorful lights that came from her friend's magic, as she wandered if magic could be rubbed off on people. The little girl pondered playfully as the pink auras randomly appear and swirl aimlessly as she ran around the forest. Yes, her friend would be so happy, she could make pretty lights appear too.

"Liddy! Where are you? It's time to come home," shouts a worried woman from a far distance. The little girl giggles through the woman's calls for her daughter to return, the child preoccupied with the odd and ghostly friend. The girl hops off of a tree branch after climbing out of impulsivity. She laughs and pants until she sees the white-haired man stand away from her not playing their game. The little girl pouts at her friend and goes to pick up her oversized sunhat. She skips over to him with her pouty glare. "Hey, what's wrong? You don't want to play tag anymore?"

The little girl moves to pull the man's sleeve when she sees blood drop onto the forest floor. She looks down curious and says, "Huh? Are you okay?"

The man clutches something in his hand and turns slowly to face the little girl. The child looks concerned at her friend until the ghostly man draws his weapon.

Lydia screams up from the couch startled by the dream. She takes in a few large breaths in and out of her lungs, all the while staring fearfully at the balcony door in front of her. It was nighttime again based on the moonlight waving to her through the balcony glass. The boxes around the sitting room looked more organized, several already put away through U.M.N. based moving chests. It was quiet in the sitting room alone, the girl noticing the room now felt warmer after her uncle left.

She turns around to see her uncle nowhere to be found with exception to his note on the kitchenette table. She moves to the note and starts to read it.

Sorry Liddy,

I tried to stay as long as I could, but I got called back by the Elsa. You know Captain Matthews. He jumps on anything that gets him more money to pay off the debt. If you wake up before your mother leaves, please let her know I came by. Thanks little imp!

-chaos

"Great seeing you too, uncle. Great seeing you too," the sleepy teen grumbles and moves to the kitchenette to snack on junk food. While she moves around examining the fridge for a soda, a fleeting cape passes behind her on the other side of the room. Lydia jumps slightly hearing someone scurry behind her. The girl pokes her head around the room again spotting nothing but the rented furniture and boxes. She shrugs it off and moves to a cabinet for a pack of pocky sticks and pulls a stick into her mouth by her teeth. The pocky hung like a cigarette in her mouth when she feels someone pass behind her again. Lydia gingerly walks back into the sitting room and hops back on the couch, clicking on the TV.

The girl sat content with her snack watching bad Soap Operas. She gives a cheeky grin watching the main character burst through the window in his tattered shirt, revealing his arduous tale of being attacked by jellyfish. Lydia laughs with each new ludicrous twist, then sighs when seeing the hot Roberto pull Kristina into his arms for a passionate kiss.

"Oh, he could pull me in for a kiss any day," fawns the now blushing girl. Lydia stops fawning over the Soap Opera star when she hears someone snickering.

"Mom? Did you not go to work today?" Lydia turns to the master bedroom closed shut.

There was a long silence as her answer. The girl narrows her eyes at the door and walks over from the sitting room couch. She gets close to call out to her mom thinking she didn't hear her, then the door swooshes open. She blinks surprised the door was unlocked, stepping inside with trepidation. "I guess she isn't here…odd," Lydia frowns thinking she heard someone. Someone had to be in here with her.

The feeling of being watched rears it's ugly head when Lydia examines her mother's bedroom. Her layout was simple for a nice apartment, with only a full size bed, built in shelves and a nightstand beside the bed, and a dresser across the room. No window was inside the room, which made the room darker and slightly creepier for the teen girl. "Well, since I'm here," Lydia goes into ninja mode looking for her phone in her mom's room. The mischievous girl searches through the shelves never finding her confiscated phone. The dresser was her next guess, so the girl starts to go through the dresser with care.

"It's gotta be here somewhere." The girl gets to the bottom drawer of the dresser and spots a rust colored box. She gazes at the box in silence, bringing back the feeling of when she first found out. _'All I had to do was put folded clothes back into your drawer...'_ Her dejected face turned rouge with anger.

"You lied to me. You two sat there and lied to my face all these years," Lydia clenches her hands before slamming the drawer shut. She sits on the floor by the dresser appearing to mope on the ground until a mischievous smile creeps from her lips.

"But I showed you…it was easy to find him. It wasn't like he was hiding from us. He can explain everything now, now that he knows. I'm sure he won't lie to me. He…he might be the only one who can help me."

A xylophone ringtone rings in the bedroom grabbing her attention. She sees the girly looking cell phone hidden between the bed skirt and the shadows of her mother's nightstand. The goth smirks and gleefully picks up the phone only to discover the screen smashed. "Geez Mom, what the hell?" cried the teen. She sees the phone continue to ring with her mother's picture coming up on the contacts. _'Why is she calling my phone? She knows I wouldn't have it on me.'_

"Mom, what gives? Why are you-" Lydia mutely gasps hearing her mother's voice choke up on the other line. The woman was crying in between short phrases, keeping herself from hyperventilating.

"Liddy! Liddy, baby. Please, tell me where you are! Baby, I'm not mad. Just tell me you're okay. Where are you?!"

"Mother, what's wrong? I'm right here! Calm down," protested the girl. Lydia feels sick hearing her mother sobbing. To her horror, her mother just keeps going in her static connection never hearing what she said.

"You…you bastard! You promised you'd NEVER go near her," the woman screams on the other end of the line hysterical. "Mom please, I'm RIGHT here! What's going on? Where are _you_?" Lydia starts shouting hearing the desperation in her Mom's voice.

"Give her back, you monster! She has nothing to do with us! Liddy, baby if you can hear me, I'm SO sorry! I will find her you bas-" The woman's message suddenly ends with the phone shocking Lydia's hand. She drops it fast and watches the phone morph into a crushed mess on the carpet. Lydia trembles seeing the destroyed phone as she hears her mother's words.

_'What is it, I, is this really happening? Mom, what's going on? M-mom?'_

The horrified girl stares wide eyed at the phone while backing out of her mother's room. Her heart was racing with dread stumbling into the sitting room. Her presence catching the attention of a man clad in unusual attire.

Lydia feels her heart skip from fright. He was like the man in her hallucinogenic induced nightmare. But now here he was standing in the sitting room adorned in all blue, with an unsettling plague doctor's mask covering his hooded face. The man looked caught off guard by her presence as he stepped back surprised. A set of binary codes continued to flicker as the two froze in place. Her shocked and terrified mind must have been just as delirious, the girl whispers in her mind a most odd question,

_'Why are you…blue?'_


	4. That's Classified

**Chapter Four**

Lydia stands in the sitting room gawking at the intruder. His body was covered head to toe in royal blue fabric, with his head covered by a royal blue hooded cape and an intricate mask. Lydia stares at the mask with her mind flashing to the fleeting memory of the man in black who chased her in Evergreen Park.

_'That, that was the man who attacked me,'_ mentally quivered the girl. As she stood petrified by the spooky man, the man in blue stared back in a rigid pose. His shoulders were arched with arms raised up and frozen stiff, his face behind the mask now contorting to an 'oh shit' expression. The man in blue scrambles to think of what to do. He had been spotted, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out how he even got in there in the first place.

"Ah..ah..ah..Am I dreaming this?" he could see the girl was about to scream, his own type of panicking starting to set in as a pink light appears behind her. The man in blue stammers and curses before he replies, "What? Pffsst, of course you're dreaming this! I-uh-I mean who would go around dressed like this anyway? HAHAHA! In fact, if this wasn't a dream, could I dooooo _this_?" The man in blue materializes a set of plushies that looked like white haired Realian ladies, and starts juggling them with a strained smile. Old timer circus music plays in the background as the incredulous girl looks for the source of the music. The man in blue starts singing along to the music, throwing the plushies into the air, and stopping them midair before they explode into confetti.

"Ta-da!"

Lydia maintained her incredulous gaze at the man in blue before she starts running to the door screaming. The man in blue curses to himself and starts chasing the girl around the room. "Hey, no stop! Don't panic! I'm not going to hurt you!" His words of assurance fell on deaf ears as the two ran around the sitting room couches. The man tries to grab the girl to calm her down when he is hurled off his feet by a swirl of pink auras attacking him. "What the hell is this?!" He shouts. Lydia uses the opportunity to maneuver past him.

"Haha! Take that, sucker! Hahahahah!" Lydia with insane laughter dashes from the sitting room to the unlocked sliding door. The man scrambles to his feet and dashes after her with fierce growls. Oh thank heaven she thought, freedom was almost here. She pushes through the door expecting the hard floor of the apartment hallway leading to the elevator. She feels a subtle sensation of falling when stepping blindly into the hall, or what was once the hallway. The girl looks down and starts to scream bloody murder.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh! WHAT THE FUCK! WHATTHEFUCK!" Shrieked Lydia.

_'Where was the ground? Where was the ceiling? Where was everything?!' _

The hallway leading to the elevator was replaced with an empty void, bottomless and silent. Her screams echoed in the darkness around her like they were in a dark cave, her body glowing like a flashlight in the void. In anime fashion she flails her arms like a flapping bird, and manages to hang on to the bottom half of the door with her hands. The man in blue watches the girl flail and fail to pull herself up from the door, hearing her struggle. His facial expression relaxes to a sigh, producing a peach size sweat drop on his head. The man in blue looks out at the void and mumbles with approval and fascination.

"Huh, a pocket in the encephalon…neat! It's a very nice touch on his part."

"Are you fucking serious!?" screams the irate girl.

"What? Oh right, wouldn't work well for his plans if you die like that. Don't let go now," the man in blue leisurely helps the dandling girl by plucking her up from the edge with one of her hands. He receives her gratitude by being kicked repeatedly.

"Let. Go. Of. Me!" She hissed and struggled.

The man ignores the bratty girl by calmly dragging her by her hands and plops her on the sitting room couch like a porcelain doll. The girl grumbles over how easily he moved her over from the front door to the couch, then became perplexed when she feels a strange presence holding her down to her seat. The man in blue sits on the opposite end of the couch thinking about when to tell the others he screwed up. He mutters under his breath several obscenities while covering his masked face with a gloved hand. The man becomes anxious as his left leg begins to tap repeatedly.

"Wh-who are you? What do you want?" asked the girl. He turns his attention to the girl and stops tapping his foot.

"That is not for you to know yet. All will be told in due time," The man replies with cryptic words.

"What the fuck does that mean?!" Lydia asked with a now sneering face.

"What are you, stupid? It means what I just said," glares the man in blue. He leans in with a creepy leer prompting Lydia to recoil with disgust.

"Take note you will not be harmed, so long as you don't do anything to cause yourself harm." The man in blue sits back and stretches his legs staring at the girl. "All you have to do is sit there and not cause a fuss, and when 'he' has what he needs, you'll be free to go."

Lydia glares back at the man in blue dubious to his intentions. She struggles a bit from her spot on the couch unsure what was keeping her in her seat.

"So…you're kidnapping me?"

"More like forced house arrest…sort of," answered the man in blue. The man had his arms stretched out on the couch tapping his fingers on the top cushions bored. The man appeared more relaxed after getting his story straight, and continues to sit on the couch waiting for something to occur.

"Are you going to tell me why?" Lydia asks.

"Nnnnnnnnnnnnope," he replies, earning another glare for Lydia.

"Can you tell who you are?!"

"That is also classified," smirks the man in blue. He appeared to enjoy messing with the red eyed girl, who now glared daggers into his head.

"I swear if this is another bizarre nightmare, I'm going to be pissed. If you're not going to tell me why your keeping me in my own apartment, can you at least tell me why you're dressed up as blue Darth Vader?" growled the girl. The man responds by stating,

"Actually, this mask is decorated to look like a plague doctor. It's supposed to be symbolic to ancient religion."

_'What kind of religion is that from?'_ mentally scoffs the girl.

"I don't see it," squints the confused girl.

"Says the girl who ran off screaming seeing…never mind. I'm not arguing with a kid about this." The adolescent maintains her scowl at the man in blue mumbling about being almost sixteen. She hangs her head in annoyance, half convinced she was dreaming up this whole mess. _'If this is a dream, this is definitely a crappy one. Who the fuck dreams about being kidnapped? Come on, Liddy, think! What about that stupid lucid dreaming Josie mentioned last time? Use the force! Um...What could I do to get him to tell me more?'_

"This is your first kidnapping I assume," Lydia watches the man reaction._ 'Ok, making small talk with the guy who trapped you in your own home? Not the best strategy, but let's see where this goes...'_

"_So_? What of it?"

"Well you sound like you don't do this often," commented the girl.

"Oh? And I assume you're an expert on this?" the masked man takes a turn scoffing at her. She furrows her brows before saying,

"Fair point...But this does seem like an odd set up, even to someone who hasn't kidnapped someone before."

"Look, I _didn't_ come up with the plan. You're only supposed to stay here and that's that," the man in blue narrows his eyes at her through his mask. She could see he knew what she was doing and gives her a cold intimidating stare. The young girl stares with trepidation before thinking of reason for why she was taken. _'Well this so far doesn't look like sex trafficking. Maybe organ trafficking? Noooooo, this is probably some kind of weird cult thing. Yeah that's gotta be it! Why else would mentioned that whole religious symbol stuff?'_

The girl continues to cringe at the possibility of being abducted by a random extremists cult when she sees the man restraining a grin. She eyes him with suspicion while looking for an opportunity to run to one of the rooms to lock herself in. _'Why did it look like he was listening to me talk? I didn't even say anything.'_

The girl gasps softly thinking of a more plausible answer to her situation…

"If this has to do with my mother, then you're wasting your time holding me here. I don't know anything about Mom. I…don't even know where she is," the girl frowns thinking of her mother's voice on the phone. The girl then scowls at the man when she picks up the cloaked man snickering. He tries to no avail hiding his snickers from the paranoid girl.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, you bastard," Lydia hisses at her captor. She clenches her fists and growls with determination before hissing back, "If you don't tell me what's going on, I swear I'm going to cause as much hell as possible until you do."

The man in blue gives her a stoic but eerie stare, making her almost waver in her fleeting determination to look tough. A couple of pink auras begin to appear around her, the man standing his ground to look calm. He looks up to the ceiling as if someone calls to him. "Geez, finally you people help." The girl's eyes blink with confusion watching the man converse with the ceiling.

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't say anything. Just get me out of here before he finds out," said the man in blue.

"Who are you talking to?" Lydia looked at the man in blue confused. She looks around the room looking for the source of what grabbed the man's attention. He gets up from his couch cushion and walks out the door with a casually stroll. Lydia gawks at him in confusion while feeling the force holding her to the couch let go. "Wha-what the fuck. Hey, get back here!" She starts to walk after him with a scowl on her face, a few pink auras popping out of nowhere.

"Like I said, no harm will come to you if you don't give us reason to do so." The man in blue stops at the door over looking the black void and turns to look down at the adolescent girl. He raises one finger remembering what to do before he left as she gets up close enough for the trick.

"So, be a good girl, and stay put." He placed a finger on her forehead as a white light flashes. Lydia spring up from a soft surface. She finds herself still in her apartment, sitting up on her twin bed. The girl looks at the room flabbergasted by her sudden change in space, then becomes even more confused seeing herself back in her school uniform.


	5. Escaping into Domains

**Chapter Five**

The girl rested her hands on her cheeks pouting. Lydia starts to grumble and mutter about her predicament, looking to the balcony door. In silence she gets up and goes to open the door to the balcony. The sounds of the city streets below her in a now dusk twilight poured in throughout the sitting room. She goes to the ledge and looks down at the street contemplating. _'I could jump maybe to the next apartment over. Maybe climb onto the roof…suppose I slip and fall?'_

The girl gulps looking at the distance between her and the ground. _'There's chance this might not work…but I can't just sit here waiting for that freak to hurt Mom. I need to get out of here.'_

Lydia walks back inside to the sitting room and stops at the front door of the apartment unit. She closes her eyes and places a hand on the panel to the front door. The girl opens her red eyes to see the pitch black void from before echo the swooshing of the sliding front door.

"Am I really about to do this?" the girl asked out loud looking down at the bottomless void. In her hands she clutches a butter knife from the kitchenette. She crouches down and starts poking at the air to show no ground below her feet. "This is crazy! I can't just walk out of here! How can I even-"

Lydia's eyes dart to the shimmer of two pink orbs floating around the black void. The girl watches them in awe recognizing the spooky orbs. "Why am I seeing those things from my dream?" A few more orbs appear in front of her floating like gentle waves, shimmering in her red eyes. The orbs swiftly move away from her. "Hey wait! AH!" Lydia clutches the door for dear life, dropping her butter knife when she feared she would fall through. The knife, what should have fallen for infinity, simply clanks on a hard surface three inches away from the door.

The clanking sound echoes throughout the void with pink waves following the sound. With timidity, the girl gets up and puts one foot out the sliding door. She opens one eye to see her foot remain level with the door, never falling through. Then the girl takes a leap of faith and throws herself out of the safety of the door. Lydia is greeted again by the spooky floating pink orbs, which danced around her like a happy pet. "This has to be another dream," Lydia whispered seeing the aura of pink float away from her. The girl calls out to the floating orbs, her feet creating passive ripples of pink waves floating around them. Whether a dream or not, Lydia laughed and smiled at the amazing unlikely source to get to her mother.

"Holy crap! This is amazing!" The void was like a rave of pink ripples floating everywhere as she ran through the void in a dreamlike state. The echoing of her steps ringed like crystals hitting a hard surface, her mind using the tempo to think of what direction to run. Faithfully she follows the strange waves of pink auras floating, almost guiding her on where to go. While running forward she spots a figment of a new hue in the distance drawing closer and closer to her. _'Is that…green light?'_

The girl continues to run forward and slows down as she gets closer to the green light. Lydia gets close enough to see two shapes, a rotating object sitting on the floor and what looked like the figure of a man. "What, is that thing?" The girl walks gingerly towards the glowing object, her face illuminating by the greenish blue hue projected from it's spot on the floor. Her whole body was illuminated by the object's glow as she stopped to stare at it up close. The light barely shines creating the reminisce of a shadow behind her and the second person.

The girl studies the second person standing beside the glowing object with his eyes closed. His white hair framed and covered parts of his face with relaxed shoulders, keeping her from seeing some of his face. The girl looked at him with a curious eye until she gasps. _'That's the guy from the park. But why would I be thinking of some stranger?' _

The man stood beside the object appearing to not acknowledge the girl. Lydia steps back and looks at the object in front of them. The glow from the object was ominous, yet somehow felt inviting for her to gaze upon it. Images could be seen through fragments of light swirling inside the rotating square. The girl turns her eyes to the meditating man standing beside her. She nods to herself and moves her hand towards him.

"Hey. Excuse me, but what's going on? Where are-"

As soon as she taps on his shoulder, the space around them morphs into a cozier setting. The man had disappeared in a blink, the girl now alone in what looked like somebody's office. The lights in the office were dim from the room being vacant, the object and the stars around her illuminating the dim room. _'What…what just happened?' _

She stares with shocked and cartoonish eyes looking around the pyramid shaped office. The ground below her feet felt different from a city apartment floor, the newer floor polished and slick like ice. It was shrouded in shades of blue grey with minimalistic furniture in some parts of the room. Lydia couldn't recall ever being in a place like this. But how did she get here? Unless…

"Oh shit! I accidently teleported from Fifth Jerusalem! Okay, okay, calm down! Uncle told you panicking is the worst thing to do in this situation. Um, uhhh, okay! I need to call mom, and tell her where I am. Fuck! Where am I now?!" The flustered Lydia paces the floor for signs of where she was. She knew she was in some corporate office, the girl darting her eyes to see a lovely Vector Industries insignia etched into the polished floor.

Next the girl rushed to one of the windows placing her face on the glass to look at the outside. In the silent office she could see parts of a ship move into a rotating motion outside. There were monitors set up near the office door, as well as the console for a holographic computer screen on the desk. Lydia starts to gawk at the space around her noticing all the stars floating past them through the surrounding windows. "Oh fuck…I'm in space. I teleported myself into space. On a giant ship I've never been on, in god knows what part of the galaxy…"

Lydia stands around bug eyed, about one trigger away from going into a full on panic attack. The girl gradually starts to turn blue the longer she stands still in the office. Pink auras start to float under her feet as she begins to hyperventilate. She suddenly swallows a large gulp of air and shouts, "Ahhh! Calm down Lydia! Having a panic attack is not going to save you! God damn it, I need to find a phone or video console."

The girl dashes to the computer on the desk and starts to tap on a button to wake up the machine. She knew with how panicked she was she wouldn't be able to use telepathy that well. Not that it worked for her when she was even calm.

A screen pops up asking for a password. The girl starts guessing passwords looking at spots around the office for what it could be. When all her attempts don't work, she bangs a hand on the desk growling. _'Okay, that didn't work. Maybe I could look in the next room and find a phone.'_

"Here use mine," says a raspy voice beside her.

"Oh thanks," Lydia tenses and turns slowly to a white gloved hand holding out his phone. The white gloved hand was attached to the body of a man dressed in all white with a matching white mask. Lydia hops back with a startled scream seeing the creepy fucker again.

"Dear god, do you have an entire closet filled with those outfits?!" screamed Lydia.

"Excuse me? I think I look pretty good in this. Adds a bit of mystique to me," smirk the man in white. He suddenly stops smiling after eyeing the school girl's clothes. "Wait a second, who are you supposed to be?"

Lydia stammers when another man materializes into the room.

"Hey newbie! What the fuck are you shouting for? I'm trying to take a nap," yells a man appearing into the office space. It was now the man in blue who first talked to her. His outfit matched the man in white, but with exception to his eyes looking crossed behind his mask. Lydia starts backing away from the two of them in shock. The man in blue spots her and curses to himself, then glares at the man in white.

"Albedo, what did you do?!"

"Me? I didn't do anything. Which one of you pedos brought this chick here," mocked Albedo.

"Oh, you're one to talk!"

Lydia backs up towards the middle of the room when she hears two more voices materialize into the office. She jumps back to see two more men in cloaks.

"I warn you Winnecot, something isn't right about this situation. These programs here can be very deceiving when entering into another person's subconscious," a man with a very deep voice acknowledges the shocked blue and white cloaked men by the desk looking at the other side of the room. "What's with you two now?" sneered the man in red. The two turn around and stare with quiet shock at the girl behind them.

Lydia gawked with an inaudible gasp at not one, not two, but now four weirdos dressed up in costumes. Their faces were hidden under intricate masks befitting plague doctors, almost belonging on a morbid catalog of scary costumes to buy on Halloween. The four men gawk back at the inconceivable standing in front of them, with the ones in red and blue staring mouth agape at the girl. The one in black appeared unphased by the feat, while the one in white appeared indifferent to the surprise visitor. Lydia suddenly becomes blue and starts shouting in a horror fanfic fashion.

"…there…there's more than one of you?! God dammit this is a cult thing! Mother, what did you do?!" The young woman sprints off down the hallways screaming and tripping over herself.

"Apparently the wrong man…" mumbled the one in black.

"Was that a sex joke?" scoffed Albedo. The red cloaked man shakes his head as he and the man in blue start moving after the screaming girl. The man in red notices the other two sluggishly move. He scowls and pulls them behind him with annoyance.

"Don't just drag your feet, we have to stop her!" Yelled the incredulous man in red.

Meanwhile, the girl sprints down the halls trying her hardest to calm down. She attempts teleporting and finds herself reappearing only a few feet from where she disappeared. No matter where she went or who she shouted out for, no one was around to hear her. Well except for the creepy dudes in matching outfits chasing her. Made it a lot easier to find her.

When the four men caught up to her, she would teleport or throw random household items at them. "Ah! That was my nose, you stupid brat!" growled the man in white.

The cycle continued to repeat itself until the men ended up with either being bit, being smacked with random bursts of pink energy hitting them, or tripping over themselves trying to grab her. Eventually the four men managed to corral the girl back into the office, cornering her into the window by the desk. The four men finally resorted to telekinesis as they held up some of the objects she threw at them earlier. When the men were about to strike, she impulsively lifts the paperweight on the desk. The four men stop in their tracks with terror dropping everything. Lydia looks bewildered by the sudden look of fear on their faces and starts to lift the paperweight over her head to throw it. "NONONONONONO," The men shout and flail their hands hastily prompting her to stop. The girl in all her wisdom freezes and lowers the object to her chest, but doesn't let go of the paperweight.

"Now L-Lydia…. let's not be rash here. You don't _need_ to resort to this," the man in red steps forward in slow motion as the others gawk in horror.

"Talk," the scared girl growls.

"Ok, how about we start with the weather? It's such a great day out in- "

"Give me some answers _now_, or I break it!" She growls at the red cloaked man. He backs away from her to his colleagues holding out his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Whoa, whoa, there's no need to do that. We just got off on the wrong foot is all, Lydia. You like to be called Liddy, right? I assure you we mean no harm to you. But you-you shouldn't be here. Perhaps if you come with us, we can sort this out in a calm diplomatic matter." The man in red explained in the calmest panicking voice.

"Why should I trust you people?" Lydia replies and starts to lift the paperweight up again.

"THERE IS NO NEED TO PUT LIVES IN JEOPARDY!" shrieks the man in black.

"Seriously, that is NOT necessary!" exclaims the man in blue.

"Lydia, please! We know you're scared, but you have to see reason here. We're only interested in your mother. Our master needs to find your mother before she compromises everything! Please, g-gently put down that artifact and we can call your mom to come get you."

"Like hell I trust you! You weirdos tried to attack me!"

"Look, I don't wish to harm you. But if you keep acting like this, you won't leave me any choice," the man in red argued with a firmer voice.

"Okay, you know what? Take this you motherfuc-"

Lydia drops to the ground like a ragdoll. She appears stupefied by an unknown force, seeing stars everywhere. Behind her was the figure of a man with slowly straining patience. The four men were staring at him bug eyed before relaxing in his presence. Half of them look away embarrassed while the other two lower their heads in silence. The man examines the disheveled appearance of his lackeys and his cluttered office before looking down at the girl to get a good look at her. She lets out a few incoherent mutters before falling back into unconsciousness.

This is what he got for forgetting to check up on her. He leaves her alone for two days, and suddenly she goes ballistic, and tries to murder his men with a fake Compass of Order and Chaos. Aside from the impressive stunt of recreating a place she never had been to, the man lets out a simple 'tsk' in discontent over her little outburst.

How this girl ever survived past the age of her predecessors was beyond his wisdom. The white-haired man shakes his head and crouches down to her level on the ground. The girl was already starting to drool on herself after being knocked out. The man responds by gently bopping her upside the head with a large paper fan and says, "Bad girl."


	6. Behind the Scenes

**Chapter Six**

There was an air of awkwardness consuming the five men standing in the office. Four out of the five in various forms of embarrassment, hung their heads in shame being bested by a high school girl threatening part of their life line. One of the cloaked men, a post hyperventilating Voyager, was sprawled out on the ground acting as if he had a heart attack. Albedo sighs with relief but restraints himself from saying anything in front of the albino man, while Virgil and Kevin avoided eye contact with their master, fearing what he would do next.

The slender man stands up after crouching down to bop the girl on the head, and snaps his fingers. The girl floats up from the floor and starts to flash binary codes throughout her body until disappearing. The man remains stone faced amongst his lackeys as he turns to them.

"S-sir, we apologize. I have no idea how she could have gotten free from that domain. The coordinates were set specifically to that one area without any easy exits, and-" The slender man raises a hand to silence the anxious red testament. Wilhelm replies in his monotone voice, "You were warned about getting too close, were you not?"

Wilhelm steps to the left and says, "Polonia." The walls and ceiling around them flicker and morphs into a white light destroying the office. The four men flinch at the destroyed room until seeing a different form out of the white light. The new domain that appeared around them was nowhere near the Dammerung's current location. The group of men were surprised to be back, or in their case, still on Fifth Jerusalem.

Kevin felt mortified he became tricked by his own design codes, the man almost wanting to blush with how easy he fell into the encephalon's deceit. "Told you," whispered Voyager who now stood next to him with a smug look on his face. Kevin glares at him after witnessing his display of 'I almost pissed my pants thinking I was about to die' moment when interacting with the squire.

The scientist looks around the real world, making sure this was the real deal as Albedo and Virgil takes turns pinching each other unconvinced. The walls were a warm stone grey with green marble floors in a loft styled condominium. He remembered this was the unit he used to rent as a summer home. Quiet, peaceful, and surprisingly devoid of human contact. The expensive condominium complex, despite the lovely views of Fifth Jerusalem's Evergreen park, was not home to many civilians. The lofts themselves stayed mostly vacant, which proved to work in their favor of well…keeping things hidden.

Kevin walks by the windows to gaze at the stunning view of the park, a view that spanned across the greenery and into the concrete terrain of the various buildings surrounding it.

Kevin shifts his gaze over to a black encephalon chair several feet away from the floating monitor while Wilhelm checked the monitor's readings. Sitting on the chair was a girl in a grey pleated skirt, a white shirt, and a tan sweater vest strapped comfortably to the cushions in a reclined position. The bulky gear from the encephalon covered up most of her face, while a few needles stuck out from parts of her body such as her neck. The encephalon headgear may have covered up most of her face, but he knew well who was under the headgear.

He remembered over a week ago having the mission brought to his attention. Wilhelm had originally deployed Voyager as the sole Testament hunting down the elusive Angeles, a former informant and brief servant to his master until her betrayal years ago. His master appeared almost befuddled by the sudden change in allegiance until one month ago when he reported to Wilhelm the sighting of the peculiar young girl. Thus started his involvement in a mission that turned from hunting down Angeles to settling for the next best thing….

Gaining a bargaining chip.

"Good, things still appear normal despite the interference." Reported a calmer Wilhelm. Kevin moves over to the monitor to see healthy vital signs for the 'bargaining chip'.

"Will she be alright?" asked a curious Virgil.

"Yes, she should be fine based on the vital readings. I don't understand how she could even figure out how to leave that domain," replied Kevin. The man hears his master chuckle when he caught the scientist pouting.

"You're surprised? That void you made wasn't very convincing," snorts Voyager.

"Well Erich, you could have jumped in at any time to put in your effort," grumbled Kevin.

"It wouldn't have mattered how convincing the domain was, gentlemen. Her ability to morph a space around her into her own subconscious schema is just a taste of her true power." Wilhelm takes a turn pouting while standing over the encephalon chair. "It's a shame this form of her power is still in it's infancy though," he sighs and passively pats the girl's hand.

"It's been over a week since the abduction. Doesn't seem like she cares too much about the kid," Virgil snorts.

"Oh trust me, I'm sure 'Angie' is beside herself over her disappearance. However, our move has put her in a difficult position. She could continue to meddle in our affairs and potentially leave the girl at my mercy. Or, she could stop this foolishness all together. Either way she will lose something of value. It only is a matter of what she decides to do," Wilhelm calmly replies with a monotone voice.

"I take it we will be banking on that chick's paranoia the longer she does nothing?" Virgil said.

"Hmm, you make it seem like this plan will take too long. A little psychological torture never hurts," argued the grinning Albedo.

"Except for the part where Yeshua finds out what we did. Course, I'm more concerned about the one she once served," Voyager eyes narrow with an air of distrust for the former servant.

"She could take that risk, if she was fine with the consequences…." Wilhelm begins chuckling with amusement at the thought. "Angeles knows it would be suicide on her part to turn me in. After our last encounter, she knows what will happen if she doesn't comply. I would not be a man of my word if I didn't follow through with my threat," Wilhelm muttered coldly.

He watched the girl sitting in the encephalon chair with an expressionless gaze. The girl's body breathed in normal rhythm countering the beeps coming from her vitals. The man softly fidgets his fingers on his left hand contemplating when to carry out that threat. It wouldn't take long, he could make it painless. Just a snap of his fingers or a wave of his hand, he could snap her dainty neck. He would be paid his debt from Angeles through such a brutal exchange, if he himself didn't mind the cost. He would be saved the trouble later….

"No, there is no need to do that yet. There is still a few more weeks before her deadline." Wilhelm looks to the monitor again and starts to type on the computer.

"Since the girl has grown tired of her little play pin, I will just have to manipulate the situation through other means. Shouldn't be too hard in her current mindset. This stage of the subconscious level is good for my abilities to work their magic. After all, where do you think she got them from?" The albino man chuckles at his own joke and pauses to think of an updated plan.

"I last detected Angeles in the Second Militia star system. Albedo, I will leave this one up to you this time. Voyager, follow Dmitri Yuriev for any signs of progress on his plans. As for you, Virgil, check in on Yeshua and the maiden of Zarathustra, while Kevin returns to finishing Mary's vessel." Wilhelm continues typing on the screen. The space inside the encephalon appearing to shift into a new illusion.

"As for me, I think I will stay here a bit longer fixing a few bugs."


	7. The Imposter

-Breeza, six years ago-

Rain fell down onto the playground in one of the cities established on the planet of Breeza. Most of everyone who played on the playground had left the moment it started to pour down rain, all except one child. On one of the swings sat a nine year old covered up in a dark blue hooded raincoat. Her blonde hair was covered by the blue hood, hiding her forlorn eyes.

A young man with silver hair wanders into the playground. He was covered with a grey jacket and black pants, while his hair was kept dry from his borrowed and out of place bunny umbrella. The worried man spots the little girl hunched over on the swings and sighs with relief. He was happy to find her out here, fearful she would get herself sick again. The silver haired teen runs over to her with a sincere smile.

"There you are! You shouldn't make your mother worried running off like that…" His turquoise eyes notice the tearful gaze on the red eyed girl. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her raincoat sleeve wanting to cry again.

"Liddy, what's wrong?" chaos asked. She just continued to hiccup and sniffle on the swing making him mutely groan over the emotional child. "I can't help if you never tell me how," chaos said.

"He's gone…" the little girl whimpered.

"Who's gone?"

"My friend, he said he would always be there. Even when I got really sick. But, but now that I'm better again…he left me all alone. I'm all alone again," Liddy cries clutching the chains on the swing and lowering her head. chaos frowned watching the girl cry. He was one of a few who bared witness to the girl's loneliness. The girl he knew was always without others her own age to play with. The adults in her life he knew would give her more attention if they could. But the girl's mother was always working, her father was never around, and the adults left to babysit her were always too creeped out by the peculiar child. He pitied her situation, thinking no one deserves to feel so lonely. Especially one so young.

The silver haired teen crouches down to the girl's level on the ground, one pant knee getting wet from the damp playground rocks. He holds the umbrella over her crying head and gives a gentle smile. The girl looks up at him noticing the umbrella over her head.

"Lydia, how could you say that? You have so many people who care about you."

"No I don't, if anything happened to you or mother, I'd have nobody. I would be alone, with everyone being scared of me."

"Liddy…"

"How could he just leave and never say goodbye? Friends are supposed to tell each other everything," the girl whimpered as chaos mutely sighs. The young man ponders for a moment thinking of this girl's imaginary friend, the one she always seemed to be playing with. Although he never got the name of this 'friend', he sometimes had suspicions on who it was. Then again…his mannerisms never sounded like him. chaos stops pondering and thinks of something to cheer up his tearful niece.

"I don't know the answer, Liddy. But, I think, perhaps his will went to a better place." The young girl stops sniffling, almost skeptical of the idea.

"His will?" chaos nods as he continues to explain.

"Yes, the world around us is filled with the wills of mankind. When we pass away, our wills move on to the next realm….or well…I suppose you can call it 'heaven'. But sometimes, certain wills feel attached to this world. Their hearts feel sad or unfulfilled, looking for something to help heal them."

A sweat drop drips from his face realizing how 'out there' the explanation sounded to the preadolescent girl, her expression still skeptical. At least she stopped crying, he thought. chaos continued to explain witnessing her red eyes stare dubiously.

"Perhaps your friendship with your 'friend', had healed his heart and helped his will move on." Chaos notices the girl wipe the tears from her eyes appearing comforted by the idea.

"But why didn't he say goodbye," sniffles the girl.

"I'm sure he would have, but maybe it would have made him sad to say goodbye." He takes her small hand into his gloved one and says, "Lydia, I'm sure your friend would want you to be happy. With how kind you were as a child, and how much you think fondly of him, I'm sure one day you'll see each other again."

The girl finishes drying off the last tear from her eye finally looking him directly in the eyes. He catches the fleeting glimpse of his rival wearing her innocent eyes.

"You think he is up in heaven? Just like father?" chaos hesitates at the mere mention of him, almost biting his lip before he says, "Yes. I'm sure of it."

The little girl's eyes radiate with warmth, her smile curling on her lips. chaos matches her expression glad to make her happy again.

"There's a smile! A smile as lovely as your mother. The two of you always have beautiful smiles," chaos's words compel the girl to blush next to him. He chuckles lightly and gets the girl to stand up and leave the swings. He holds the umbrella over the two of them, walking close so they didn't get too wet from the rain. "Uncle," said the girl. "What you said…I hope it's true."

chaos smiles with reassurance to the girl. The young man then guides them out the park towards their trek to a welcoming and dry home, with an anxious mother waiting.

"Remember this, Lydia. What we do has more impact on others than we think," the two continue on with the tallest one shielding both of them from the rain.

-Present Time-

She found herself face down in a puddle of water with rain soddening her clothes in the drizzle. Her head felt hazy getting up from the ground on wobbly feet. Lydia's eyes focus on the world surrounding her, everything coming back to her senses. She could hear rain falling down, her eyes seeing the playground surrounding her. Lydia's body starts chilling up from wet rain once she stands up. The girl turns her head to the swing set from her memory perplexed by the not so new world.

"What am I…doing back on Breeza?" The girl looks down to see her uncle's borrowed bunny umbrella cast aside on the ground. With caution she picks up the umbrella and opens it for some protection from the elements. The soaked school girl walks while holding the umbrella and crossing a free arm shivering.

"I hadn't seen this place in years," the girl shivered walking down the pathway out of the playground. She observes the playground start to shift into the city streets once she steps out of the greenery. When the girl steps onto the sidewalk, she looks in awe at the eerie display. She frowns with trepidation now walking past a sea of mannequins frozen in different walking poses on the walkway. "Okay, first I wake up in a playground with a bunny umbrella…and now I'm frolicking on a sidewalk filled with mannequins. God…damnit…" Lydia's face turns blue looking at the unsettling mannequins, their faces all covered with the same painted on, stoic mask. She wanders in the rain looking around for a place to call for help, her wine colored eyes catching the glimpse of a ghostly pink apparition. Thunder rumbles as she turns around to get a look at the specter, who had disappeared into the mannequins.

She wearily starts walking again, feeling like this was a repeat of the Darth Vader dream. _'Was it them again?' _Lydia's thought quickly wandered at the possibility of the dreams being more than dreams. It seemed like ever since she had that hallucination about the man in black, she was having the worst dream yet. It was like 'Alice in Wonderland'…but with Star Wars cosplayers. There were four of them now, none of whom she recognized, and none of whom she wanted to befriend. Just what the hell did a bunch of dudes dressed up as Darth Vader themed birds want with her of all people?

The pondering girl shudders feeling a presence behind her, her breathing close to a pitiful gasp. Lydia turns back around, and is greeted by the ghostly mass of pink orbs. The once friendly orbs from before formed the shape of a man twitching and groaning a ghostly groan. Lydia turns pale looking at the apparition and bumps into a mannequin once the ghost starts to reach for her. The frightening ghost moaned in unintelligible cries, trying it's hardest to reach out to her.

The girl's eyes flash a brilliant pink, triggering the sea of mannequins to twitch and come to life as random civilians. Lydia gawks at the sidewalk now filled with people coming to life in the rain. The apparition takes the opportunity to grab the girl's hand and shakes her with desperation. Lydia felt sick and terrified as the apparition moaned, "I…can…not…be…"

Lydia screamed and wrestled her way out of the ghostly grip, running through the fake civilians. The now malevolent will started to chase the girl down the street with thunder booming in the distance. The girl gasped for breath running as fast as she could away, while the apparition gained up on her trying to grab her with swirls of pink lights. Lydia panics as she sprints and pushes through the door to the first thing she saw. A light came on at the sound of a tiny bell ringing from the swinging door. Lydia pants and shivers with her bunny umbrella still at her side.

After a few gasps of air, she looks around to see that she had wandered into some café. No, by the look of the Japanese décor and the large menu of teas and assorted treats, she had stumbled into a tea shop. The tea shop had an inviting air, the rain soaked girl almost beckoned to stay inside for warmth in its mint green colored walls and the smell of delectable pastries.

"Ah, look what the rain dragged in." A low calm voice sighs from the back of the tea shop sitting in a wooden booth by the window. She recognized her uncle sitting there with his short silver hair. He was wearing a pair of long white baggy pants, and a skin tight navy body suit paired with an orange and navy blue vest. chaos looked content with his relaxed shoulders and crossed legs. He sat up straight happily sipping a cup of green tea with a plate of miniature cookies beside his tea pot.

"I ordered a pot of tea with sweets. Quite marvelous they still offer this special now a days," his darkened turquoise eyes greeted her with a kind smile as her face contorted into a WTF expression. He conveniently ignores the girl's face by sipping one more time from his cup of tea. He sits it down on the table and pours a second cup.

"If you still want a cup, you better come here before I drink all of it." The incredulous girl walks up to her uncle. "Dude, how? What the hell, h-how did you get here?!" yelled the girl.

"You should stop gawking like that. It doesn't look good on a pretty face," her uncle teased. Lydia replies with a glare and reluctantly sits down on the opposite side of the booth. This didn't make sense, she knew uncle could teleport sometimes at will, but he wasn't supposed to be here. Then again, he came to visit them on Fifth Jerusalem…when he was supposed to be lightyears away. AND then AGAIN, how on earth did both of them get to planet Breeza?!

The girl watches her uncle with suspicion as he stares back at her with a calm stoic expression. He sits with the eerie stillness of a fascinated cat, eyes hiding his mental game of strategy. The two have a moment of awkwardness between them, Lydia noting the same distinct feeling that followed her when she was at school. All that was missing was the-

The girl scowls when she notices the man tapping his finger on the table unconsciously. "_Seriously_? Must you do that?"

"Excuse _me_?" chaos narrows his eyes at the girl, Lydia then confidently lets her attitude slip. "That tapping, must you keep tapping like that? Geez, that gets so annoying." Her comment is rewarded with a smirk from chaos.

"Never took you as someone who gets fussy over small habits. I remembered you being a rather carefree girl." chaos chuckles and smirks back, "Course, you seem to get just as irritable as that mother of yours.

"I-I beg your pardon?!" growled the girl. "You don't know jack-shit about me."

"Hmmmmm…Let's see, your name is Lydia. You currently go by the last name 'Vein'. You are fifteen years old, an only child to a single mother who has a shaky background at best. You attended Kansanshi Secondary School since November, you're multilingual, and have terrible taste in music with mismatched television preferences. Hmmmm, what else? Oh, I forgot about that boy you like. But honestly I think you could do better," chaos chuckles with a condescending tone as the girl looked back at him perturbed. _'Dear GOD! Has, has this guy been reading my diary?!'_

"Would you like to hear more? You are quite an open book, my child. That mother of yours certainly didn't teach you anything about keeping secrets." chaos stops himself when he runs into a related thought.

"Oh, what am I going to do about her. I wouldn't have been so close to catching her if it wasn't for you, and you are playing your part just as expected." chaos continue to smile at her with an unsettling air. Lydia was now trying not to divert her gaze from the intimidating man, still perturbed by his odd behavior. None of it made sense. The only way it could make sense was if perhaps…

"Who the hell are you?" asked Lydia. The silver haired teen just smiles back, passively letting his demeanor frighten the girl.

"All in due time will that be revealed," replies the imposter. He takes a last sip of his tea, drawing out the suspense as if he were the star of his own drama. "There is too much about you that I cannot trust just yet. Fortunate for you, I know you know nothing about your mother's whereabouts. But, this still doesn't mean well for you if your mother never complies."

The imposter moves up from his seat as the creeped out Lydia is overwhelmed with the vision of red eyes bearing into her soul. A chill spreads throughout her body, her head spinning while the imposter just watches her space out. "Until we meet again, child, try to dream just a little longer."

The teenager is sent swirling into darkness for what felt like mere moments, until the stunned girl jolts up from her bed with a gasp. Lydia clutches her head holding back her nausea when she hears a small thump beside her bed. The dizzy girl turns her attention to the floor, looking down to see an old book had fallen from the bed. The girl grabs the book from the floor, examining the cover with the pieces starting to form.


	8. Hostile Visit

**Hostile Visit**

A lovely afternoon sun shined outside the girl's bedroom window, the cityscape below her bustling like an average day. A view easily ignored by the girl, who was beating down the front sliding door of the apartment.

"Open up this door, you bastards!" Shouts an irate Lydia. On the door was a note typed in black ink. The rather short and somewhat ominous warning read as so: _'Due to unfortunate circumstances, this exit has been sealed off for repairs. You currently have 12 days left. Have a nice day. Signed, Darth Vader __?__'_

Lydia growled and grunts beating on the door. She couldn't stand this, not knowing what the hell was going on. First she was sick from spiked food, then she got grounded by her now absent mother, and now she was the victim of a cult of Darth Vader cosplayers holding her hostage in her own home. Oh, and she almost forgot about the jackass who was prancing around as her uncle.

Lydia fumed thinking how she didn't see it. That thing, whatever it was, infiltrated their home by literally walking right through the front door!

The girl feels her hands warm up with a pink glow. She balls her hands into fists and resumes swinging blows at the door. The girl grumbles with each frustrated punch onto the never budging sliding door. This goes on for several minutes until Lydia feels her hands starting to bruise. The girl panted and crouched on the floor covering her head, refusing to look at the still pristine door. She stared at the floor scowling at nothing.

"The exit has been sealed? You have 12 days left? What kind of ludicrous bullshit is this?" Lydia shouts.

For four days since that note appeared, the girl was trapped in her mother's apartment with the Darth Vader brigade popping in and out. Though nothing had happened since being thrown back into her apartment, Lydia could feel something terrible brewing inside her cozy cage. It hung over her like a storm cloud, the pink auras floating around her exasperating her anxiety. Lydia watches her only companions float around the room with an unconvincing air of harmlessness.

_'I don't understand. These things, it's…like they're feeding off me.'_ Lydia shivers watching the pink waves float around the sitting area. The girl touches her neck, feeling for the pendant that used to hang around it. The girl grumbles over her lost trinket. _'I could never find that thing before I left for school. I should've told Mom about that before I left.'_

She sighs watching the pink auras follow her around. "I guess you're still better company than seeing _those_ creepy fuckers." The girl tries to ignore the pink waves and moves back to the coffee table. She sees an old book left on the coffee table with the sun touching the front cover with gentle light. The girl looks solemnly at the old text, remembering her mother's terrified reaction to the random gift. Lydia begins to frown thinking of her unfinished business, mixed with guilt contacting him without her knowledge.

_'I should tell Mom when she comes…' _Lydia stops her sentence and pauses. Her eyes glass over as she lowers her head.

"Stop it…I can't give up like this. Mother is safe, I'm sure of it. And so is uncle! I, I need to be strong for them, I need to figure out how to get out of here." Lydia whispers to herself the pep talk before stepping away from the coffee table. She opens the balcony glass doors to look down at the tranquil city pondering her next move. _'Am I really going to risk it?'_

The girl ponders the pros and cons of her situation, feeling a breeze flow past her. What would her mother want her to do? Would she want her to play it safe? Or would she…?

With a deep breath, Lydia walks calmly from the balcony, and leaps off the balcony to the city below. Her eyes were shut tight with her body stretched out in her freefall. She expected the drop to feel swift, her heart already racing preparing to teleport to a safer distance….

She does…smack dab onto the sitting room floor.

Right on her face.

The chaos imposter just sits on the couch expecting her swift return. After a few minutes of silence, Lydia shouts and squeals rolling around the floor. Through her loud bouts of cursing, 'chaos' sat with patience ignoring the obscenities the teary eyed girl shouted. She holds her nose amazed it wasn't broken, and sits up from the ground.

"Are you quite done?" the girl turns around startled by the familiar and now obvious chaos imposter. He was wearing the same outfit from the last time she saw him. A perfect copy of her uncle with exception to his darker than usual eyes. Evil chaos, as she eloquently named him, looked apathetic while sitting as stoic as a Victorian photograph. He watches her step back to step away from him.

"You know, most people would find this set up quite nice. Though you seem to disagree," The young looking man again pays no mind to her apprehension and puts a bag out on the coffee table.

"You haven't eaten in a few days since we last met. I assume you must be hungry," he replied. Lydia responds with silence. The imposter just sighs almost annoyed. He opens the bag to show a bento box of food, then crosses his arms.

"I assure you it's perfectly safe to eat." She squints at him with suspicion.

"How could I be so sure? What if it's just laced with something to poison me?"

The imposter rolls his eyes and replies, "There wouldn't be any reason for me to hurt you. At the moment, you're worth more to me alive than dead. So you have nothing to worry about."

"Is that so? Have you seen those creepy Darth Vader cosplayers?!" Lydia points to the door.

"Darth Vaders?" evil chaos looked confused by her question until he realized what she meant. He chuckles in a low soft tone. "Ah, that is a new one for me. I would understand if you thought they looked like birds with those masks on, but Darth Vader? Hmm, I don't see it."

"Hold on, you-you're with those creeps?"

"Of course! Or to be more accurate, they are with me. My personal servants to tend to my whims. I cannot always be everywhere at once." Evil chaos smiles in reply before letting his face fall to a stern frown looking at her. "No, I can't be with you causing such a fuss. Speaking of which, you need to stop banging on the door for help. The red one told you already you're the only one on this floor. It's getting quite annoying. Not to mention the communication panels have been disconnected…but feel free to watch television. Since you don't care for the book," evil chaos spoke to the girl with a tone that ordered her obedience as Lydia gawked at him with an attitude etching onto her face.

"Oh yes, I'll just sit here and watch TV like everything is fine. While you bastards chase around my mother, like a bunch of fucking psychos!"

Lydia lunges at the imposter with speed, and suddenly slams into an invisible wall. Her body slammed face first into the invisible wall twitching as the chaos imposter eyed her coldly. She slides off the invisible wall like a half dead bird as blood comes out of her nose. The wall between them disappears through the power of several auras colored in blues and purples. She senses the auras around her changing, making her head feel heavy and sick. Lydia looks up to see him eye her with a taciturn gaze before she swallows the vomit coming up from her mouth. The girl moves her body to the couch still keeping her distance from the imposter, then feels the negative energy around her mellow when she decides to take a seat. She swallows the feeling of nausea looking at the bento box move across the coffee table silently. With the imposter watching her, the girl restrains her attitude by taking the bento box into her lap.

The imposter nods appeased with her docility. He studies her with an examining eye as the pink auras appeared and disappeared around the room. The imposter frowns watching the colorful pink waves float around her, forming an oddly shaped shadow.

"Goodness you're quite slow, aren't you? Don't you realize you can't hurt me as you are now?" The chaos imposter sighs, almost appearing disappointed.

"I suppose it isn't completely your own doing. Those two made you this way. Oh they somehow managed to keep you alive, but yet…they made you so…pitiful." He appeared uncertain how to describe her, concerned over how she truly lasted as long as she had. The imposter sighs not masking his concerns over the girl, his mind looking forward to cornering the two of them once he found her. He changes the subject with the girl avoiding his eyes.

"I will leave you to eat for now. Someone will come by to check on you later. Try not to jump out of any balconies while you're here," With the visit ruined he turns his body away standing up from the couch. He starts to move towards the door when the girl asks,

"Why are you 'dressed' like him?"

He stops moving staring at nothing with a flat expression. The chaos imposter closes his eyes for a moment before replying, "It was a form that made you most comfortable…it was either that or look like your mother. I rather not subject myself to that." The imposter's eye twitches thinking about the red haired woman, thankful the girl couldn't see his face.

"Is this, part of your plan? Hiding yourself like this?" The girl sits on the couch with her voice wavering in anger. "Even the book, it was all just your way of getting to mother, wasn't it? I, I never heard from him at all….you were just using me." The pink will around her intensified from her anger. The imposter appears unmoved by her growing hostility, watching her passively.

"Believe what you wish, child. Things are much more complicated than you realize," the man frowns never looking at her. It was an answer he expected her not to like. The anxious girl becoming just as paranoid as her mother, while the delightful pink auras around her swirled into a malevolent and silent rage. He was prepared for another burst of energy, reminding himself of the previous failed attempts. His eyes shift towards the television turning it on to the local news for that day. Her inner will perplexed by the seemingly magical, and rather infantile act of telekinesis. The imposter maintains his flat expression maintaining a stern voice.

"Lesson one, little girl, your powers will continue to worsen if you don't learn to quell the power of your will. If you continue to let it reign over you, you will be consumed by its wrath." Lydia watches him disappear in front of her while the TV blared in the background. She sits alone watching the empty spot he stood before looking at the pink auras still floating around the room. _'He…he knows about my power?'_

_-Near Fifth Jerusalem space, Dammerung-_

His eyes opened from his meditation into a quiet and empty conference room. The red eyed man stretches his arms and stands up straight to greet the real world. When he was sure he was alone, Wilhelm lazily materialized from a nearby conference room to his executive suite within seconds. His shoes clicking down the hall towards his office. _'Master!'_ Wilhelm could hear the Red Testament calling out to him. His voice was strangely high pitched, mixed with anxiety and unbridled fear. Wilhelm grunts with annoyance from the whining, already preoccupied with his own problems.

"What is wrong, Winnecot?" Wilhelm steps into his office to see Kevin standing military style beside his desk, his eyes darting fearfully at the entity sitting in Wilhelm's chair. Kevin didn't know why, but he couldn't stop staring at the woman, fearing if he turned around, he would be reduced to ashes. The Matriarch sat in the chair comfortably drinking a cup of tea, while staring at the glowing artifact trying to make heads or tails out of the stream of waves. She dismissed Kevin, who had been frozen in terror for about twenty minutes waiting for Wilhelm to return.

"I never understood your fascination with this contraption," The Matriarch spoke in a monotone voice. Her blood red eyes stare up at Wilhelm with a beguiling smile.

Wilhelm looked at the woman with an unemotional face. One he thought could rival his late brother's. The man looks at Kevin. "Leave us." Kevin steps away from the two, never taking his eyes off the Matriarch. She flirtatiously waves her hand to the Testament who quickly exits the room. The door locking itself behind him after Kevin leaves.

"He seems nice," the woman said. Wilhelm could only imagine what horror Kevin must have felt being alone with her for who knows how long.

"I apologize for not reporting to you sooner," Wilhelm said.

"No harm has been done, my boy. I could see you were busy with business. Most of which I have a lot of money riding on, nicely done." She rubs her hands with a grin, tempted to pat her spawn on the head. Wilhelm knew his creator didn't come to congratulate him on earning her more money. He knew her sudden presence was important, the woman never holding back her disappointment. Wilhelm then recalls that he was supposed to meet with her as part of her command. _'Shit'_ the albino man cursed in his head.

"I have something I need for you to do, dear." Her voice maintained the sweet tranquil tone when setting her tea down on the desk.

"What do you wish of me?" Wilhelm asked.

"You know what," The Matriarch frowned. She lights a cigar in the office, blowing out a puff of smoke once she inhales in the toxic fumes. Her legs were crossed as she looks at her 'son' knowing he was trying to play dumb. The woman leaves no room for him to explain. "I asked you weeks ago to retrieve the Failsafe for me. Yet here I am, in your abode, waiting for results." Traces of ash fall to the floor when she taps her cigar.

"You are normally so efficient. I would have expected him to be in my possession ages ago. But here you are tending to other trivial things." Wilhelm continues to be silent as she stares at him from across the desk. The Matriarch gets up from the chair and walks right up to him. Wilhelm tries to remain emotionless as she gets up in his face.

"I have been concerned about you, Wilhelm. You haven't been acting like yourself, dear boy." She caresses his cheek. "If there was another reason for your folly, I would be more understanding. But I have no squires to consider, no other business dealings I could think being more important than my orders." The woman stands over him when Wilhelm feels an intense spiritual pressure bringing him down to his knees. His shoulders feeling a heavy weight as he tries to maintain his forced kneeling position, the older woman whispers in his ear.

"...Bring him to me, or else." Wilhelm feels the weight lift from him. He falls over to the floor with a grunt. The Matriarch walks away with her cigar leaving him to recover.


	9. Ancients Pouting

**Ancients Pouting**

The bleak vacuum of space surrounds the windows of an executive office. The Compass of Order and Chaos rotates in a serene motion, radiating a soft green light in half the room that evening. Sitting by the desk, an albino man eyes the grinning White Testament standing in front of him. His face and eyes maintain a calm demeanor as he silently grows a chip on his shoulder.

"I'm just going to ask one last time. I swear," said Albedo. He looks directly at his master with a serious expression on his face. There was a round of muted groans around the office from Virgil and Voyager while Wilhelm glared at the URTV.

"Okay, so you…_you_, got up from this chair…you went to Ariadne to visit a bunch of angels…you happen to get drunk with Angeles…and then you 'used the force'…" Albedo starts to wink at the red eyed man, enjoying the juicy details he was so cordially left out of for the longest.

"Please stop," begged a now ill Virgil listening to Albedo's euphemism.

"Why do you make it sound so improbable that I could do that? I can literally raise people from the dead, orchestrate total control of the masses, and even teleport objects the size of planets. You really think I could not 'get laid'?" Wilhelm appears offended by the URTV's reaction as the skeptical Albedo stifles his snickers.

"I'm just saying, you are kind of a hermit. Also, aren't angels supposed to be, well, _virgins_?" mocks Albedo.

"Astonishingly the opposite. We are, very affectionate beings," Wilhelm chose his words carefully as he flips the layer of his hair covering his face. He didn't appreciate where this conversation was going.

"So that means you've, wellllllllllll?"

"Yes, Albedo. I've engaged in sex quite often in the past," Wilhelm begins to narrow his eyes at the URTV. The White Testament clears his throat attempting to stop snickering. He had to get this right, much to the displeasure of the other Testaments.

"Oh, okay cool. Cool. Then you might be able to tell me what this is," Albedo pulls out something from his pocket. As he hoped, Wilhelm calmly opens a portal to the imaginary domain. Albedo is sent hurling inside the portal cracking up, while Virgil and Voyager hold onto seats in the office.

"It was worth iiiiiiiittttttt," Albedo laughs maniacally through the blinding portal. The portal closes behind him as a condom wrapper falls to the floor.

Wilhelm's eye twitches with annoyance, the man leaning forward in his chair with the office lights creating an eerie glow around them. Kevin materializes into the office just in time to see the ominous glare coming from his master scowling in his chair. Kevin turns white as a ghost before shuffling beside a stiff Voyager and an ill looking Virgil.

"He finally did his joke I see?" whispered Kevin.

The other two nod and watched Wilhelm groan and lower his head onto the desk. The man appeared sore from being tricked by Angeles (and physically sore after the Matriarch's visit). The albino man takes comfort in sending Albedo hurling into a vortex of death, knowing the vortex was only a temporary fix. He takes a moment to watch the girl through the compass, mesmerized by the pink aura that surrounded the girl's body. He could not shake off the pesky feeling that this will he felt both at the park and now was eerily familiar, with these recent days reassuring his suspicions on where it came from.

"Should one of us say something?" Kevin whispered to Virgil.

"I'm not touching that mine field," Voyager replied in a hushed tone.

"Personally I didn't think a joke would get him so worked up," Virgil chimed from behind the two. Voyager turns to Virgil and says, "I think it might be more from some family drama."

"You mean over that one lady that made Kevin wet himself?" Virgil smiled.

"Different lady," Kevin glared.

"Would you fools stop whispering over there? It's making it hard to concentrate," Wilhelm snarled from his seat.

The three men flinch and bow feverishly, not wanting to receive their master's wrath. The red eyed man turns his attention back to the glowing compass and sighs with a disgruntled tone. He ruffles his white hair with fatigue and groans. "These variables have certainly set me back, haven't they?"

"...I'm sorry things haven't turned out as planned, sir." Kevin replied. Wilhelm responds by rubbing his temples again for the fifth time that evening and sighing irritable sighs. You think being alive for 6000 years, he could come up with a good revenge plan against Angeles. Especially after he rediscovered her lie.

"It's quite alright. I have not given up yet. To do so would be irresponsible at this point...this catalyst has opened a new set of variables I have ignored for too long. The Matriarch, the family itself, and now this bastard child throwing herself into something I dread may affect the very nature of our domain."

"Would you like to carry out your threat sooner? 'She who shall not be named' has another week left," Virgil asked. Wilhelm gives a cocky smile, ignoring the impending dread that kept growing within him after looking in the Compass.

"I'll stick to my word on that one. 'Angie' is starting to run out of places to hide, given your sighting of her back within Fifth Jerusalem. However, her presence will no doubt affect the others. It should have been expected knowing the 'family's' behavior towards deserters. In some ways it's all too predictable."

Kevin steps forward attempting to change the subject for Wilhelm. "Master, what did that one woman from earlier want with you?"

"Hm? Nothing to be concerned about now, the Matriarch and I have an agreement involving the Failsafe. We watch over him for a short period of time, and then she will have him for what she sees fit." Wilhelm vaguely explained.

"Yeshua as you know is the Failsafe of this Universe. His powers are not only determined by UDO, but by two prevailing archangels as well. Sisters of life and death you could say," Wilhelm smirked at the nickname and continued to watch the girl projected from the artifact. Lydia was observed in the ball of green light, sitting on the couch and covering her head in frustration. "I do find it odd the Matriarch only has interest in the Failsafe. Your efforts to hide our 'little bargaining chip' went unnoticed I see." Voyager proudly smirks while Wilhelm continues talking.

"It is good to keep her away from our affairs in that area for now, at least until the three week deadline is up." Wilhelm ponders over the situation, his mind not completely sold on what to do, now that the Matriarch was beginning to order him around again. The Testaments quietly think of ideas on the situation, allowing their master time to watch the Compass for signs of the future. Wilhelm watched the girl fall sideways onto the couch cushions, the anxious girl resolving herself to sleep.

Wilhelm's mind trails off when his eyes become entranced by the Compass's sudden changes in hue. The voices around him muffled when he gives his full attention to the image he sees in the distorted flow. His hand reaches out to the vision as Kevin's muffled voice called out to him. He could feel an ominous will ever encroaching upon him, flashes of pinkish subconscious waves swirling around him like a cyclone. The world around him collapses as Wilhelm reaches out to the light trying to grasp the vision more clearly. Only to be met with piercing spears formed by the opposing will, his mind dodging the spikes that reached out to impale him. Dark shadows burst through the ground below his feet, overpowering him in its embrace. He felt like he was being dragged into hell by his neck, a woman's deep snarling voice lulling him to oblivion. He panics as a set of malevolent voices join the snarling voice, screeching out to him.

"Somebody catch him!" Kevin cried out. Wilhelm felt himself fall to the floor with a loud thud. His body arching back twitching and twisting into a seizure. The voices of the others were still muffled as he lied there on the ground, the black abyss pulling him under as the compass spins erratically on the desk.

**-Federation Medical Pavilion, Research Division-**

An albino woman sits at her office desk staring out into the government district of the city. A woman with long voluminous white hair quietly reflects on her orders from Lucifer, her ruby red eyes never blinking in her reflection on the window. She recalls a few weeks before her 'mother' beckoning her to come for a visit. The memory a brief one. She walked the indoor courtyard with the Matriarch who enjoyed the cloudy day stroll. She had kept her steps behind her in respect to the archangel in front of her.

_"You wished to see me, Mother? Have something gone wrong?" The ruby eyed woman asked. The archangel, the Matriarch, turned her head to reply with a casual tone. "Oh no, Melvina. It's just, I heard recently that your brother was in the area. I assume that you told him to report to me," Lucifer said. _

_"Yes, it was like pulling teeth getting him to just speak with me. I finally met him today to gain rapport." Melvina rolls her eyes remembering her last conversation with her brother._

_"Such a reclusive man he's becoming," The Matriarch chuckles. _

_ "Him of all things, becoming as antisocial as a hermit. I hope he doesn't try to leave without visiting again." Her fingers play with the petals of a flower, the plant slowly dying from her caress. She turns to look at Melvina with a contemplating gaze. _

_"I want you to watch your brother closely. These days he has been too secretive to my liking," The Matriarch ordered. The Albino woman frowns looking away from the Matriarch as her elder narrows her eyes at the knight. "Find out what he is planning, and report it to me."_

_"Understood," Melvina replies. She materializes out of existence, the Matriarch left in peace within the courtyard._

Since their meeting, Melvina had no trouble investigating her brother in secret, with her first part of snooping involving looking into his need for the 'puppets'. Unsurprisingly, Melvina found no data trail on the Testaments. She knew her brother would hide his ties well to his lackeys, creating many personas/aliases to confuse anyone off his trail, and using said aliases to control several organizations from behind the scenes. Her favorite being the Heinlein persona for Ormus' Patriarch, Melvina's mind chuckled at the stark difference between the Wilhelm and Heinlein personalities.

Although she worried he modeled Heinlein after her, her mind was more concerned over a different matter. One that made her blood boil. Her eyes turn to the computer, which had several files pulled up on a 'phantom patient' admitted days ago to the hospital ward. Suspicious of the file, Melvina dug deeper, noting that the 'phantom patient' had no file listed anywhere on the Fifth Jerusalem database for the Federation Fleet. No medical records, no school or home information, not even a birth certificate or phone contact could be found anywhere. Melvina turned her suspicions to the UMN, discovering a certain method of coding specialized engineers used prior to Michtam's destruction. A method of coding that wasn't used except by those of higher up authority in the Federation Fleet for manipulating data.

The communication panel on the woman's computer rings, Melvina snaps out of her train of thought and answers the call on her computer.

"Report Mr. Shahid."

"Sir! It's about the sample sent on one of our patients. Th-this data, I have no idea how we could have missed this patient!"

"What are you talking about?" Melvina snipped at the neurology researcher.

"The data we have on patient 641208P indicates strong wavelengths like the subjects used in the Zohar experiments. Sir, these numbers! These can't be right?!"

"Let me see their data on the neural wavelengths," Melvina commanded. "But sir, we provided you this data weeks ago for processing. It should have- "

"Don't lie to me, Mr. Shahid. I have not received anything of the sort. Now let me see it."

"Y-Yes!" The startled researcher sends the information to the impatient woman. She stares at the computer as the data from the patient appears on screen. Neural wavelengths and data revolving numerous numbers flowed on the screen quickly. Melvina's eyes widen at the wavelengths observed on the screen compared to the numbers, a spine-tingling chill goes through her body.

"Why have I not received this before?!" Melvina asked.

"With all due respect, director, we provided you with the data weeks ago." The timid man repeated. The woman becomes livid, her eye twitches as she thinks of how they could have missed them.

"What is the status on patient 641208P?" Melvina sneered from her seat.

"She-she discharged the same day of admission. We tried to contact the patient for 'follow-up', but there is NOTHING listed anywhere on the patient. There's not even an official discharge order, or anything past the admissions note. It's- "  
"It's as if she was erased from the system entirely," Melvina finishes the man's sentence. The woman had no doubt in her mind that she was missing that patient data for a reason. Her mind tracing back to a few weeks ago, thinking about the sighting of the deserter before the Federation Pavilion's data was hacked. Yes, she remember her brother ended up visiting that same day after much prodding...she pauses in thought with suspicion gleaming in her ruby eyes.

"You think you're so sly, don't you?"

"I beg your pardon," The researcher asks with a high-pitched voice.

"Nothing. Have these files processed and a new disc copy set on my desk pronto, Mr. Shahid. I need to contact the Federation's Executive Director on this matter." Melvina looks at the patient photo ID, staring at the results closely.

"One more thing Mr. Shahid."

"Sir?"

"Have my 'associates' notified immediately after the files are fully processed. We must find this...she must be returned to the family."

"Yes sir," The researcher exits off the video chat to complete his orders. Melvina narrows her eyes at the image and data samples, picking up her jacket before leaving her seat. The woman walks out of the office and disappears to have a familial visit of her own.


	10. Seeking Spoilers

**Seeking Spoilers**

The world around him had collapsed into a dark abyss, his body felt weighted down by an unexplained force. Wilhelm stood in the darkness with the glow of a familiar light. He walks towards the light as a presence calls to him. He stops and sees a man form out of the light, standing before him with a ghostly glow. Wilhelm recognizes the apparition and reaches out with a curious hand.

"Anshelm?" The ghost just observes him with a gloomy stare. Wilhelm studies his departed brother with uncertainty. _'I shouldn't be so amazed you are here, but why? Why do you appear now as you are? Have you not satisfied yourself?'_ Wilhelm sneers back with a cold gaze.

He reaches closer to the dead man restraining himself into an insincere smile. "Brother, is that really you?" When Wilhelm blinks, the darkness around him turns into a place long forgotten and the ghost had disappeared. He looks around to see a grand stone temple surrounded by vast vegetation on a scattered cloudy day. A gentle breeze blew across his cheeks, never moving the black and silver armor that he now adorned on his slender frame. Wilhelm looked around confused at the living memory he was trapped in, turning around to get a good view of the temple he once knew. _'The Temple of Life?'_

"Brother what is- "Wilhelm's red eyes go wide with shock. In his late brother's place was the horrific sight of Yeshua. The young man not his usual self, but instead in his darker form. The Failsafe was a ghostly white, a clawed beast with red wings fluttering in the field. His body was covered with glowing red veins, contrasting with his soulless black pools for eyes. The beast had burst through the temple doors, covered in the blood of countless servants and priests. His bleak black pools stared into Wilhelm's shocked face like a primitive animal_. 'This can't be, the Failsafe. The seals have been...'_

The Failsafe falls forward when a woman with flowing white hair tackles him to the ground. "I finally have you, you filthy creature!" She shouts.

"Melvina!" Wilhelm yells at the memory.

"See yourself for who you are, you little monster!" Melvina cackles as she pulls him into a headlock on the ground, trying to choke the demented young man. The Failsafe struggles with the woman who had him at her mercy. She goes on to taunt the beast, satisfying her sadistic tendencies.

"A child of endless chaos, created by the goddesses of life and death, a slave to the wanton destruction of this universe," Melvina growls. "Look at you, you forsaken creature of GOD." Melvina laughs at the blank faced monster that was pinned under her. Wilhelm has no time to stop the woman as she goes in for the kill shouting,

"A CREATURE LIKE YOU DESERVES NO MERCY!"

Wilhelm could hear the Failsafe's hand impaling into someone's chest. He opens his eyes to see his sister on the ground away from the Failsafe. She gets up with a snarl, and then gasps when she sees Anshelm in front of the Failsafe. Blood trickled from his back and lips.

Anshelm slumps forward into the Failsafe's embrace, whispering into the beast's ear. His mysterious words Wilhelm could not hear, but somehow what he said brought the Failsafe to his senses. The Failsafe had finally turned back into Yeshua, confused and frightened. His eyes stare in horror at the lifeless Anshelm, who lay in his lap, covering Yeshua's robes with crimson. Wilhelm walks up to the horrified Yeshua to comfort him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," He says to the memory. The man looks down at his brother, but gasps at the sight of another body lying before him. In his brother's place, he sees Lydia lying in Yeshua's lap. She was wearing his brother's armor, and her chest covered in blood from a gaping wound. Behind him were the calm steps of a woman with blood colored eyes as he hears his brother's voice saying, _'I cannot be…'_

Wilhelm is surprised by a firm embrace from behind him and the voice of an older woman whispering in his ear. "Valiant knight who forgot his oath. You stand upon the precipice of destiny uniting the seals that maintain order. Lay down your head upon my altar, as offerings to the beast."

His claret eyes went wide as dozens of red lights ensnare him in a painful swarm. He becomes plagued with the flashing visions again of what he saw in the compass, the man stifling his screams of agony before he jolts awake from his nightmare in a now well-lit bedroom. Wilhelm recognized the bedroom as his own, the minimalist furniture covering the abode with dark colors. He focused his blurry vision on the scarlet red blob sitting by his bedside until his vision cleared.

"Master Wilhelm! Are you alright?" Kevin was sitting by his side, appearing surprised by the man's sudden wakefulness. Wilhelm looks over to the Red testament with confusion.

"W-winnecot?"

"Welcome back, sir." Kevin sighed with relief. Wilhelm rubs his face, still overcome with lethargy. "You look like you got slugged by KOSMOS, what the hell happened to you last night?"

"I suppose it was one of my more powerful visions that did me in," Wilhelm grumbled in embarrassment. "It's been a while since I had one of those."

Kevin despite all the spectacular things he had seen since becoming a Testament, had the sudden air of skepticism for his master's claim. He scoffs at the idea Wilhelm was bluffing to deny feeling weak. "A vision made you have a seizure? _Really_?" Wilhelm narrows his eyes at him.

"That Compass of mine can really pack a punch when it wants to, all those ripples within the flow of possible events. But my vision…soon something will happen that may change the course of our production." The red eyed man steadies himself on the bed, waiting until he felt ready to get up again. He feels a red gloved hand on his forehead, the CEO glaring at the Red Testament from his spot. "Um, sorry, sir. I thought you were running a fever. You're sure you don't want to rest a little longer?" Wilhelm swats his hand away, ignoring his concern.

"I ask that you reframe from treating me like a child. Now, what happened while I was out?" Wilhelm asked.

"Well Margulis is still a gullible dumbass, the Federation and Ormus are still trying to destroy each other, some of your employees at Vector think you're a vampire, and Albedo is still Albedo." Kevin summarized.

"Good, nothing seemed to have changed then." Wilhelm took a cleansing breath in and jumped from his spot on the bed. Kevin follows the man out of the room as Wilhelm adjusts his suit jacket. "Um, there's also something else that has occurred while you were out. I don't think we anticipated this though," Kevin stammers trying to warn the man. "What would that be?" Wilhelm asked.

"You have a visitor," Kevin said as they walked toward the office.

"And that would be- "Wilhelm's voice trails off when looking inside the office to see a feminine version of him sitting in the visitor's chair by his desk. She had flowing long white hair, with eyes like rubies, and a dark hospital uniform from one of her labs. The albino woman sat cross-legged in the office staring daggers at the other Testaments watching her. Particularly at Albedo, who kept making faces at her while she waited. Melvina turns her gaze to her brother as he enters the room.

"Well look who decided to wake from his beauty sleep," She sneers.

"Melvina, what a pleasant surprise this is. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Wilhelm's monotone voice asked with fake authenticity.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You liar! I know damn well you have it, you little snake. Hand over my disc," Melvina jumped from her chair. Her manicured finger stabs at his chest with an accusatory point.

"Why would I need a disc?" Wilhelm scoffs with an innocuous tone. The Testaments sit by on the sidelines, feigning ignorance while their master sits down quietly at his desk.

Rather than letting her brother's poker face infuriate her, she takes a few breaths in to calm down. The woman maintains her focus with confronting him. "Brother, no games today. We both know you're hiding something from Mother," Melvina said. The Testaments go quiet in the background, ceasing their whispering. Wilhelm continues to maintain a calm façade.

"When were you going to tell me about her?" Melvina angrily asked.

Wilhelm remained vigilant in his silence, while the Red and Black Testament appearing disappointed their efforts were found out quickly.

"Honestly, I'm not mad. Just disappointed in your actions," Melvina frowned. Her face didn't appear disappointed for long, a wicked smile forming as she leans forward onto the desk. Feeling proud she had caught her brother; she proceeds to look Wilhelm directly in the eyes and gives her own sales pitch.

"If you want my advice, Wilhelm, you have two options."

"I never wanted your advice." Wilhelm replied, causing Melvina's eye to twitch excessively.

"You have TWO options. Number one, deliver Mother the Failsafe as promised and go about your business. Or number two...you come clean about your little secret."

"Huh?" The three Testaments shush Albedo and continue to listen in.

"I know you've been hiding her. Did the two of you, strike a deal behind Mother's back? I always saw the way you and Anshelm looked at Angeles. Look but never touch," Melvina giggles in a low voice while the Testaments scowl at her.

"Ahhhhh, but what would be the point in you keeping her away from the Matriarch? You're not the type to fall into this ridiculous notion of 'love'. Could it be shame? Or perhaps…?" Melvina glares at her stoic brother with ice in her veins.

"You would be a dead man if that traitor bared you a child. Of course, I'm sure Mother would look the other way for her favorite. I mean, you would have the best excuse EVER! Mother has been waiting on a new squire for fifty years. But would you go and let the servant run off with it? Or perhaps you just kill it like the last one," The insensitive woman hisses. Wilhelm just stares coldly at his sister, choosing not to say a word.

"Whatever, it wouldn't matter to Mother." Melvina folds her arms with indifference. She turns her gaze to the Testaments, who scowl at her. The four men ready to fight under their master's order, while Melvina in a cocky moment chuckles and grins at Wilhelm.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't tell her. You should be the one; after all, this is your mess to clean up."

Melvina plays with her long white hair pondering over her brother's secretive nature. She hated how he always made her guess everything he was planning. "I know you are still sore about what happened fifty years ago, brother. But you can't blame Mother for your own sins. If what I assume is true…and this 'hypothetical' bastard of yours isn't speculation, then you know what you must do. A replacement knight has been something Mother has been trying to accomplish for a long, LONG time." The siblings stare at each other like ferocious tigers, their wills clashing like many times before. Melvina sneers at the stubborn Wilhelm, her arrogant smile straining. She huffs and reaches into her brother's suit pocket, magically pulling up her lost disc.

"You're no fun, brother. I can't take back what's mine without taking jabs at you first." She flips her hair after placing the disc into her lab coat pocket. The woman lets out a humph glaring at her brother and his puppets. "Just remember, whatever you are hiding, she will know the truth eventually," Melvina fades out of the office continuing to pout as she disappears.

Wilhelm and the Testaments watch her in silence, the Testaments looking at each other with uncertainty. The albino man remains expressionless; his mind already moving the chess pieces around for his sister's challenge.

"Well...fuck. Looks like we've been found out. Good thing you brownnosers tampered with that disc already," Albedo speaks up.

"Master Wilhelm, what was Melvina referring to when she said 'squire'?" Virgil asked. Wilhelm sat quietly reflecting on the possible moves his sister would make, red eyes narrowing as he contemplates new variables entering his schema. Kevin calls his name, the four waiting for him to speak again. Wilhelm gets up from his seat and motions to the window brooding.

"I didn't have the heart to admit it wasn't planned," he finally replies. The man watches the window before glancing back at them. "Do you recall my tale about what happened sixteen years ago? The deal I made with Angeles?"

"Um yeah, but you were telling the story while downing a bunch of scotch and," Virgil replied when Kevin nudges him to stop his sentence. Wilhelm lets out a heavy sigh, continuing to be a brooding pretty boy.

"Lydia is one of many 'creations' the Matriarch has dubbed 'squires'. For centuries, the Matriarch has been trying to create another knight using our genetic link, though her purpose for this is uncertain to me. Her countless attempts to create a knight have been unsuccessful...the Matriarch's obsession with this has lasted through the test of time. An obsession over Nephilims that deeply concerns me..." Kevin could see his master eyes darken at the mention of the Matriarch.

"Master, I don't understand. Why not just tell the Matriarch about the child? Wouldn't it keep her off our radar for the Eternal Recurrence? I mean, if the lady is obsessing over grandchildren so badly-"

"You would think so, but..." Wilhelm's voice trails off before turning around, his face appearing more troubled by that vision.

"...I don't trust her. The Matriarch and I are no different from each other, we both take pleasure in controlling things from behind the scenes. I am grateful for her giving me life, bestowing upon me such powers...but I would not trust her with my own creation."

His minions listen quietly, while Wilhelm starts to stare at the Compass of Order and Chaos. "That vision, I can only speculate it involves Yeshua. Something is trying to corrupt the system set for the Failsafe and activate Anima's power. If I or the others were to be indisposed...well it would leave no one to reign in the discord he could potentially bring."

Wilhelm watched the window of the ship with a stoic look in his eyes, his mind riddled with wandering ideas on how to stop his vision from occurring.

"Depending on the next move I make, we may see speculation become reality."


End file.
